Alexander  Henry's 
Travels  and  Adventures 


^\)t  iLafee0ioc  Classics; 

Alexander  Henry's 
Travels  and  Adventures 

in  the  Years  1 760-1 776 


EDITED  WITH 
HISTORICAL  INTRODUCTION   AND  NOTES 


MILO  MILTON  QUAIFE 


WITH  FRONTISPIECE  AND  MAP 


iThe  Lakeside 

[Press  Chicago 


R.  R.  DONNELLEY  &  SONS  COMPANY 
CHRISTMAS,  MCMXXI 


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tinuoi 


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the  publishers  that 

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pnUi^l^tv^*  J&reface 


FROM  time  to  time  the  preface  to  these 
volumes  has  taken  on  the  form  of  an 
intimate  talk  between  the  publishers 
and  the  reader  about  the  ideals  and  the  or- 
ganization of  The  Lakeside  Press.  Apropos 
of  the  extended  strike  for  shortening  an 
already  short  work  week  which  has  recently 
disrupted  the  printing  industry  throughout  the 
country,  a  statement  of  its  labor  policy  may 
not  be  amiss  at  this  time. 

It  is  the  ambition  of  the  publishers  that 
The  Lakeside  Press  shall  become  a  pecuUar 
institution  in  the  printing  industry;  one  in 
which  its  work  shall  be  carried  on  in  the  spirit 
of  the  highest  traditions  of  the  art  and,  by 
a  contented  and  permanent  organization  of 
executives  and  workmen. 

The  Lakeside  Press  is  neither  a  union  nor 
an  open  shop;  it  is  honestly  non-union.  The 
management  of  a  great  industry  occupies  the 
position  of  a  trustee  both  to  the  public  and 
to  its  employees.  The  public  should  receive 
its  commodities  uninterruptedly  and  at  a 
price  as  low  as  is  consistent  with  fair  wages, 
good  working  conditions,  and  reasonable  profit. 
The  employees  should  be  guaranteed  as  con- 
tinuous employment  as  possible,  an  opportu- 


^uhli^iyn^'  ^preface 


nity  to  earn  high  wages  in  return  for  increased 
production,  and  protection  in  their  rights  as 
American  citizens.  The  officers  of  The  Lake- 
side Press  believe  that  this  trusteeship  can 
only  be  fulfilled  when  the  relations  between 
the  management  and  the  employees  are 
unhampered  by  the  arbitrary  dictation  of 
union  officials  who  have  no  direct  interest  in 
the  welfare  either  of  the  establishment  or  its 
employees. 

Whatever  may  have  been  the  necessities  in 
the  past  for  labor  unions  as  a  protection  against 
abuse,  today  the  demand  of  modern  industry 
for  contented,  smooth-working  organizations, 
and  the  revelation  through  factory  accounting 
that  high  skill  at  high  wages  means  lower 
unit  costs,  are  labor's  greatest  protection. 
Labor  unions  to  a  great  extent  have  become 
the  tools  of  ambitious  leaders  in  labor  union 
politics  and  are  kept  in  existence  only  for 
their  personal  aggrandizement  and  profit, 
and  by  the  apathy  and  weakness  of  the  em- 
ployers. Most  unions  lay  an  unfair  burden 
on  the  public,  stifle  advancement  in  the  art 
of  increasing  production  and  lowering  costs, 
and  are  a  millstone  around  the  necks  of  the 
workmen  themselves. 

Of  the  two  thousand  odd  employees  of 
The  Lakeside  Press,  not  one  is  a  member  of 
any  labor  organization,  and  in  spite  of  the 
repeated  attempts  of  the  labor  unions  to  en- 
tice away  its  employees,  the  organization  has 


^ubli^i^n^*  preface 


been  successfully  maintained  on  this  basis  for 
sixteen  years,  through  the  application  of  the 
principle  of  fair  play,  and  the  fact  that,  un- 
trammeled  with  union  restrictions,  the  men 
have  been  able  to  earn  more  money  than 
elsewhere.  During  the  war,  when  labor  was 
scarce,  the  employees  did  not  leave  for  other 
jobs;  of  the  205  men  and  boys  who  went  to 
war,  four  were  killed  and  196  came  back  to 
the  plant  as  "home,"  and  during  the  many 
strikes  that  have  disturbed  the  printing  in- 
dustry in  Chicago  during  the  last  sixteen  years, 
not  one  man  has  gone  out  on  strike.  These 
facts  seem  satisfactory  evidence  that  The 
Lakeside  Press  is  "a  good  place  to  work." 

The  Apprenticeship  School,  the  Taylor 
system  of  scientific  management  and  weekly 
bonuses  for  increased  efficiency,  and  the  quick 
settlement  of  all  differences  and  grievances 
by  frank  discussion  between  the  officers  and 
the  employees  are  all  contrary  to  union  rules, 
but  are  the  very  foundations  upon  which  the 
organization  has  been  built  up. 

Should  the  national  unions  in  the  printing 
industry  accept  the  principle  of  the  open  shop 
and  recognize  the  right  of  every  man  to  work 
regardless  of  his  union  affiliations,  comfort- 
ably and  without  molestation,  an  open  shop 
would  be  practical  and  the  only  one  that 
would  be  fair.  But  the  national  unions  do  not 
recognize  the  open  shop  except  under  com- 
pulsion and  accept  it  only  as  a  temporary 


5publi.Bf)cr^*  ^tdact 


truce  in  a  perpetual  warfare.  The  experience 
of  the  last  year  has  proven  that  the  open  shops 
of  the  countr}^  had  been  secretly  organized 
and  their  production  interrupted  by  the  general 
strike,  while  the  shops  that  had  been  main- 
tained on  the  non-union  basis  were  undis- 
turbed. Only  fair  dealing  can  successfully 
maintain  a  non-union  shop,  and  the  manage- 
ment of  The  Lakeside  Press,  realizing  their 
trusteeship  to  the  public  and  to  their  em- 
ployees, have  deliberately  assumed  the  burden 
of  so  treating  their  employees  that  they 
neither  need  nor  desire  the  interference  of 
labor  unions. 

This  year  we  have  taken  for  the  subject 
matter  of  the  volume  an  early  narrative  of 
travel  centering  around  ISIackinaw.  Henry  was 
the  first  EngHshman  to  venture  out  into  the 
wilderness  after  the  French  had  been  deposed 
from  its  sovereignty.  Outside  of  its  interest 
as  a  narrative  of  pure  exploration,  its  chief 
interest  lies  in  the  fact  that  the  early  history 
of  Chicago  is  so  intimately  connected  with 
that  of  Mackinaw.  jSlackinaw  for  a  century 
was  the  center  of  the  fur  trade  of  the  Great 
Northwest,  and  until  the  beginning  of  the 
nineteenth  centur\^,  all  approach  to  Chicago 
was  through  that  trading  center. 

Mr.  Quaife  has  again  consented  to  act  as 
editor  and  to  prepare  the  historical  intro- 
duction. 

THE  PUBLISHERS. 
Christmas,  192 1. 

viii 


Contend 

PAGE 

Historical  Introduction xiii 

Part  One:  Adventures  in  Michigan,  1760-64  i 

1 .  Embarking  upon  the  Fur  Trade  ...  3 

2.  The  Voyage  to  Mackinac 15 

3.  Arrival  at  Mackinac 29 

4.  Reception  at  Mackinac 39 

5.  The  Winter  at  Mackinac 54 

6.  A  Visit  to  Sault  Ste.  Marie 59 

7.  Destruction  of  the  Fort  and  Return  to 
Mackinac 63 

8.  The  Gathering  Storm 72 

9.  A  Ball  Game  and  a  Massacre       ...  78 

10.  First  Days  of  Captivity 86 

11.  The  Journey  to  Beaver  Island      ...  95 

12.  Rescued  by  Wawatam loi 

13.  The  Adventure  of  the  Bones  .           .      .  107 

14.  The  Arts  of  the  Medicine  Men     .      .      .  113 

15.  Removal  to  the  Au  Sable 123 

16.  Lost  in  the  Wilderness 130 

17.  A  Bear  Hunt 137 

18.  Death  of  a  Child 143 

ix 


Contents 

PAGE 

19.  Return  to  Mackinac 147 

20.  Flight  to  the  Sault 153 

21.  Invoking  the  Great  Turtle      ....  161 

22.  Voyage  to  Fort  Niagara 167 

23.  The  Return  to  Mackinac 174 

Part  Two:  Lake  Superior  and  the  Can.vdian 

Northwest,  1765-76       ....  181 

1.  Journey  to  Chequamegon 183 

2.  The  Winter  at  Chequamegon       .      .      .189 

3.  Famine  at  the  Sault 198 

4.  Legends  of  Nanibojou 203 

5.  A  Tempestuous  Voj^age 209 

6.  The  Island  of  Yellow  Sands    ....  215 

7.  Operations  of  the  Copper  Company  .      .  219 

8.  Journey  to  Lake  Winnipeg      .      .      .      .  227 

9.  From  Lake  Winnipeg  to  Beaver  Lake     .  243 

10.  From  Beaver  Lake  to  the  Prairies     .      .  257 

11.  A  Journey  on  the  Plains 268 

12.  Hospitality  of  the  Assiniboin  ....  275 

13.  Customs  of  the  Red  Men 284 

14.  The  Return  to  Fort  des  Prairies  .      .      .  298 

15.  Journey  to  ^lontreal 305 

Index 321 


Historical  Introduction 


J^t^torical  31ntroDuctton 


IT  is  the  year  of  our  Lord,  1760.  Under  the 
masterful  leadership  of  William  Pitt,  the 
British  Empire  is  just  bringing  to  a  trium- 
phant conclusion  the  terrible  Seven  Years' 
War  which  for  long  has  deluged  a  world  with 
blood.  From  a  somewhat  narrower  point  of 
view  this  war  has  been  but  another  round  in 
England's  second  Hundred- Year  Duel  with 
France  for  the  poUtical  dominance  of  the  earth. 
For  almost  two  hundred  years  the  rival  mother 
nations  have  been  fostering  in  America  a  New 
France  and  a  New  England.  Stretched  along 
the  Atlantic  coastal  plain  from  Maine  to 
Georgia  is  the  thin  line  of  colonies  which  go  to 
compose  the  latter.  EncircHng  these,  with  one 
center  of  settlement  on  the  lower  St.  Lawrence 
and  the  other  at  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi, 
two  thousand  miles  away,  are  the  imperial 
possessions  of  New  France.  Although  her 
population  is  but  a  handful,  and  that  of  the 
English  colonies  but  a  few  hundred  thousand, 
around  and  between  which  stretches  the  in- 
terminable wilderness  sparsely  inhabited  by 
scattered  tribes  of  savages,  long  and  repeat- 
edly have  the  two  countries  quarreled  over  the 
issue  as  to  which  shall  control  and  develop  that 
wilderness. 


ipi^torical  3^ntroDuctioii 

The  Seven  Years'  War  was  the  decisive 
round  in  this  long  struggle  for  the  domination 
of  the  continent.  It  began  in  the  backwoods  of 
America  with  a  contest  for  the  possession  of 
the  Ohio  Valley.  It  was  ended  when  in  the 
autumn  of  1759  a  combined  land  and  sea  force  of 
twenty-seven  thousand  Englishmen  conquered 
the  citadel  of  Quebec.  The  capture  of  Quebec 
is  one  of  the  decisive  struggles  of  military 
history.  It  won  for  General  Wolfe  an  early 
grave  and  an  immortal  fame;  it  ended  for  all 
time  the  dream  of  a  greater  France,  while  it 
gave  the  future  of  North  America  into  the 
keeping  of  the  Anglo-Saxon;  it  foreshadowed 
the  development  of  the  British  Empire  on  its 
modern  basis,  and  the  birth  of  the  United 
States  as  an  independent  nation. 

In  the  province  of  New  Jersey  in  1739  was 
born  a  youth  since  known  to  fame  by  the  name 
of  Alexander  Henry.  Of  the  first  twenty  years 
of  his  life  practically  nothing  is  known.  Of  the 
succeeding  sixteen  years,  we  have  his  own 
record  in  the  narrative  which  follows.  The 
slogan  of  recent  years  "Trade  follows  the 
Flag"  finds  ready  exemplification  in  the  career 
of  Henry.  When,  in  the  summer  of  1760, 
General  Amherst's  army  invaded  Canada  for 
the  purpose  of  reducing  Montreal  and  thus 
ending  the  war,  Henry  attached  himself  to  the 
expedition  in  a  commercial  capacity,  and  at 
this  point  begins  his  narration  of  "travels  and 
adventures."  Disaster  promptly  overtook  him, 


l^ijStorical  S'ntroDuction 

his  boats  being  wrecked  and  all  his  merchan- 
dise lost  in  the  rapids  of  the  St.  Lawrence. 
Not  long  after,  he  encountered  by  chance  a 
Frenchman  who  had  spent  long  years  in  the 
Indian  country  as  a  trader;  and  the  stories 
he  told  of  the  wealth  to  be  won  in  the  fur 
trade  fired  Henry  with  the  determination  to 
proceed  to  Mackinac  and  from  this  center 
begin  the  prosecution  of  this  hazardous  calling. 

Doubly  hazardous  was  it  at  the  time  Henry 
proposed  going  into  the  Northwest.  Although 
New  France  had  fallen,  the  Indian  tribes  had 
not  been  conquered,  and  they  viewed  with 
sullen  hostility  the  approach  of  the  represen- 
tatives of  the  nation  which  had  vanquished 
their  French  "Father."  Under  the  inspiration 
and  leadership  of  Pontiac,  one  of  the  greatest 
figures  in  the  history  of  the  Indian  race,  they 
rose  against  the  English,  and  all  along  the 
far-flung  western  frontier  the  scalping-knife 
gleamed  and  the  tomahawk  descended.  Thus 
Henry,  at  Mackinac,  found  himself  in  the  midst 
of  the  conflict,  and  his  story  of  what  befell  him 
has  been  incorporated  almost  word  for  word  by 
the  master  historian,  Parkman,  in  his  narra- 
tive of  the  Great  Conspiracy. 

The  war  ruined  Henry  but  it  did  not  break 
his  dauntless  spirit  or  satiate  his  appetite  for 
adventure.  Upon  its  conclusion,  therefore,  we 
find  him  embarking  upon  the  fur  trade  anew; 
pioneering  for  copper  in  the  Lake  Superior 
region,  whence  in  a  later  century  almost  untold 


ifi^ttititai  3Fntrotiuction 

wealth  in  mineral  was  to  be  drawn;  resuming 
again  the  fur  trade,  in  pursuit  of  which  he  was 
drawn  to  the  utmost  verge  of  the  region 
known  to  white  men.  The  recital  of  these  years 
on  Lake  Superior  and  in  the  far  Northwest 
occupies  the  second  part  of  our  volume;  it 
constitutes  a  distinct  narrative  from  that  con- 
tained in  Part  One,  and  the  two  might  well 
have  appeared  as  separate  volumes.  But  as 
Henry  himself  put  them  together  in  his  life- 
time, so  we  reproduce  them  here,  in  a  single 
book  of  travel  and  adventure. 

At  the  period  when  his  narrative  concludes, 
Henry  was  a  man  of  but  thirty-seven.  During 
his  years  in  the  wilderness  the  quarrel  between 
the  EngUsh  colonies  and  the  Mother  Country 
had  arisen  and  progressed  to  its  culmination  at 
Philadelphia,  on  the  very  day  that  Henry 
set  out  upon  his  return  to  civilization,  in  the 
Declaration  of  Independence  and  the  birth 
of  the  United  States.  From  this  succession 
of  events  Henry  had  been  as  far  removed  as 
though  upon  another  planet.  Reaching  Mont- 
real in  the  summer  of  1776,  he  set  out  that 
same  year  for  England;  crossing  to  France,  he 
was  presented  at  court,  and  to  the  day  of  his 
death  almost  half  a  centur\'  later  he  retained 
a  vivid  recollection  of  the  attention  bestowed 
upon  him  by  the  beautiful  and  unfortunate 
queen,  Marie  Antoinette. 

Thenceforth  Montreal  was  Henry's  home, 
although  he  made  two  more  voyages  to  Europe 


l^i^torical  S^ntroDuction 

and  paid  one  or  more  visits  to  the  Indian 
country.  From  Montreal  he  prosecuted  for 
some  years  the  fur  trade,  conducting,  mean- 
while, the  business  of  a  local  merchant.  He 
remained  one  of  the  substantial  citizens  of  the 
place  until  his  death  in  April,  1824.  His 
eldest  son,  William,  was  long  prominent  in  the 
Canadian  fur  trade;  his  second  son,  Charles, 
was  slain  by  natives  on  the  Liard  River  of 
northwestern  Canada,  while  thus  engaged; 
and  a  nephew,  likewise  named  Alexander 
Henry,  perished  in  the  Columbia  River,  having 
left  behind  a  set  of  journals,  which,  unpub- 
lished for  almost  a  century,  are  among  the 
most  valuable  records  of  the  time  and  place  to 
which  they  belong. 

With  this  brief  view  of  our  author's  career 
taken,  it  remains  to  appraise  his  book.  For 
the  record  of  the  massacre  at  Mackinac  and 
its  attendant  events,  Henry's  work  is  our 
only  detailed  narration.  For  the  period  of 
northwestern  trade  and  exploration  described 
in  Part  Two,  Henry  is  an  early  and  valuable, 
although  not  unique,  authority.  Occupying 
such  a  position  in  our  historical  literature,  it 
is  obviously  a  matter  of  importance  to  deter- 
mine what  measure  of  credence  may  prop- 
erly be  accorded  his  narrative. 

Henry  himself  offers  perhaps  the  best  method 
of  approach  to  this  problem.  In  his  preface 
he  informs  us  that  "  the  details  [of  his  fur- 
trade  career]  Jrom  time  to  time  committed  to 


i^i^Gftorical  3^ntrotiuction 

paper,  form  the  subject  matter  of  the  present 
volume."  It  is  obvious,  therefore,  that  the 
author  did  not  keep  a  day-by-day  journal  of 
events;  and  that  his  narrative  as  it  comes  to  us 
is  the  fruit  of  his  recollections  set  down  at 
different  times  during  the  period  of  his  life 
subsequent  to  the  conclusion  of  the  travels  and 
adventures  which  are  so  vividly  described  by 
him.  A  record  thus  produced  may  possess 
great  value,  but  to  all  lawyers  and  all  histo- 
rians it  is  a  commonplace  that  this  value, 
however  great  it  may  be,  will  be  different  in 
quality  from  that  attaching  to  a  day-by-day 
record  of  events.  The  human  memory  is  at 
best  a  fallible  instrument.  Men  in  later  years 
frequently  recall  events  which  never  took  place; 
as  frequently  they  transform,  in  memory, 
the  true  character  and  circumstances  attend- 
ant upon  the  occurrence  of  events;  and  it  is 
sometimes  even  possible  for  an  observer  to 
trace  the  progressive  steps  in  the  transfor- 
mation. 

With  these  considerations  in  mind,  we  will 
not  expect  to  find  in  Henry's  story  that  ac- 
curacy of  detail  which  characterizes  the  jour- 
nal of  contemporary  events.  It  will  not  be 
strange  to  find  that  distances  are  sometimes 
misstated/  that  dates  given  are  frequently 
incorrect,  and  that  the  story  is  subject  to 

1  An  additional  reason  for  this  is,  of  course,  the  fact 
that  Henry  is  commonly  giving  estimates  made  by  eye, 


i^i^torical  3^ntrotiuction 

correction  in  various  other  respects.  But  the 
more  important  consideration,  in  appraising 
the  narrative,  pertains  to  quite  another  ques- 
tion; did  Henry  desire  to  set  dovm  a  truthful 
record;  and  was  he  capable,  in  general,  of 
doing  so  ? 

On  this  point  two  opinions  have  been  ad- 
vanced. In  general,  Henry's  bona  fides  has 
been  accepted  by  scholars  without  qualifica- 
tion, following  the  lead  of  Parkman.  More 
recently,  however,  Henry  Bedford- Jones,  in  a 
booklet  published  at  Santa  Barbara,  has  de- 
Hvered  a  sweeping  attack  upon  Henry .^  The 
spirit  of  the  accusation  is  perhaps  sufficiently 
indicated  in  the  following  lines  of  verse  which 
preface  the  booklet: 

Garrulous  old  trader,  sitting  with  a  jorum 
Close  beside  your  elbow,  and  tobacco  blowing  free, 
Easy  'tis  to  picture  you,  spinning  to  a  quorum 
Of  pop-eyed  New  York  burghers  your  tales  of 

deviltry! 
How  you  must  have  made  them  palpitate   and 

shiver 
As  you  warmed  up  to   your   narrative   of   blood 

and  massacree! 
How  you  must  have  chortled  as  you  saw  'em  shake 

and  quiver 

rather  than  the  precise  determinations  which  result 
from  scientific  surveys. 

^  The  myth  Wawatam  or  Alexander  Henry  Refuted, 
Being  an  Exposure  of  certain  Fictions  Hitherto  Unsus- 
pected of  the  Public;  with  which  are  also  found  some 
remarks  upon  the  famous  old  Fort  Michilimackinac  *  *  * 
(Santa  Barbara,  1917.) 


l^tatortcal  3^ntroDuction 

To  your  tales  of  shocking  escapades  by  trail  and 

lake  and  river — 
I'm  afraid  you  were  a  liar,  but  you    knew  how  to 

deliver 
Your  auditors  of  Gotham  from  the  shackles  of 

ennui! 

In  support  of  this  charge  of  willful  mendacity 
against  Henry,  the  writer  calls  attention  to 
certain  erroneous  statements  of  detail,  a  form 
of  criticism  to  which  Henry's  narrative  is 
clearly  vulnerable;  but  so  carelessly  have  the 
accusations  been  drawn  that  it  would  be  easy 
to  retort  upon  the  critic  the  very  charge  he 
brings  against  Henry .^  Not  to  go  farther 
afield,  the  sole  factual  basis  for  the  verse  pic- 
turing the  "garrulous  old  trader"  engaged  in 
spinning  his  yarns  for  the  entertainment  of 
an  audience  of  "pop-eyed  New  York  burghers" 
is  the  single  circumstance  that  his  book  was 
published  by  a  New  York  printer.  There  is 
no  hint  in  it — or  elsewhere  to  the  present 
writer's  knowledge — that  Henry  ever  lived  in 
New  York,  or  indeed  that  he  ever  saw  that 
city. 

'  Thus,  Henry's  account  (in  Part  One,  chap.  VII) 
of  his  trip  from  Mackinac  to  the  Soo  is  described  as 
"ludicrously  inaccurate;  and  from  Point  Detour,  find- 
ing the  lake  open,  our  hero  pushes  on  and  sends  back 
aid — but  fails  to  say  how  he  crossed  the  open  straits." 
But  on  turning  to  Henry's  account  we  find  that  after 
the  party  reached  Point  Detour  a  delay  of  more  than  a 
week  ensued,  as  to  part  of  which  it  is  expressly  stated 
that  the  weather  was  "exceedingly  cold."  Only  a  hyper- 
critic  could  require  further  explanation  than  this  as  to 
how  Henry  crossed  the  "open  straits." 


]^i^torical  ^FntroDuction 

Details  aside,  the  most  important  accusa- 
tion made  by  Mr.  Jones  is  that  the  entire  story 
of  Henry's  relations  with  Wawatam  and  Chief 
Minavavana  is  a  myth,  and  that  these  charac- 
ters never  in  fact  existed.  If  this  charge  be 
true,  then  indeed  all  confidence  in  Henry's 
narrative  becomes  impossible.  Looking  to  the 
evidence  in  support  of  these  assertions,  how- 
ever, we  find  that  it  practically  reduces  to 
this,  that  Minavavana  is  unknown  outside  the 
pages  of  Henry.  "A  son  of  Matchekewis, 
captor  of  Mackinac,"  says  the  critic,  "told 
Schoolcraft  that  the  name  was  entirely  strange 
to  him."  But  when  we  turn  to  Schoolcraft  for 
confirmation,  we  find  that  his  witness  was 
suspicious  and  unwilling  to  talk,  and  that 
Schoolcraft  expressly  cites  the  incident  as  an 
illustration  of  the  difficulty  of  a  white  man's 
getting  the  truth  from  an  Indian! 

Criticism  of  such  character  as  this  reveals 
itself  to  be  is  of  the  stuflF  of  which  dreams  are 
made,  and  unworthy  of  serious  consideration;^ 
and  a  more  candid  and  capable  critic  must  enter 
the  Hsts  before  the  historical  repute  of  Henry's 
narrative  can  be  seriously  shaken.  For  my- 
self, I  see  no  sufficient  reason  for  doubting 
Henry's    honesty,    and     his    narrative    itself 

*  I  have  noticed  it  thus  far  only  because,  as  far  as  my 
knowledge  goes,  it  is  the  latest  publication  on  the  sub- 
ject of  Henry's  book,  and  as  yet  has  evoked  no  notice 
or  answer.  In  editing  a  new  edition  of  Henry,  there- 
fore, it  seems  proper  to  place  his  critic's  attack  in  its 
proper  setting. 


i^i-ertorical  S'ntroDuctton 

discloses  internal  evidence  of  shrewdness  and 
insight  on  the  part  of  its  author.  Necessarily, 
since  it  is  a  personal  narration,  his  own  doings 
and  point  of  view  receive  constant  emphasis. 
For  this  the  intelUgent  reader  will  make  due 
allowance,  as  he  will  for  such  errors  of  precise 
detail  as  may  disclose  themselves.  That  these 
should  occur  in  the  recital  of  sixteen  years  of 
travel  and  adventure  is  inevitable.  Equally 
inevitable  is  it  that  the  author  could  not  have 
abandoned  himself  to  willful  mendacity  with- 
out leaving  evidences  of  the  habit  which  would 
be  patent  to  the  scholar  who  follows  on  his 
trail;  and  when  such  a  scholar  as  Francis 
Parkman  accords  to  Henry  a  certificate  of  good 
faith  we  may  be  sure  that  his  book  is  some- 
thing other  than  a  collection  of  yarns  spun 
for  the  delectation  of  a  group  of  "pop-eyed 
New  York  burghers." 

From  quite  another  point  of  view  Henry's 
narrative  deserves  attention.  It  is  evident 
that  Henry  must  have  received  some  educa- 
tion, but  in  his  twenty-first  year  he  plunged 
into  the  wilderness,  not  to  emerge  therefrom 
for  sixteen  long  years.  Such  a  career  is  not  in 
close  accord  with  the  curriculum  laid  down  in 
the  schools  for  the  training  of  him  who  aspires 
to  become  a  writer.  Yet  in  some  mysterious 
maimer  Henry  had  become  a  master  of  Eng- 
lish and  this,  his  sole  production,  is  literature 
in  the  best  sense  of  the  term.  The  shelves  of 
our  libraries  are  loaded  down  with  books,  dry 


i^i^torical  g^ntrotiuction 

as  the  desert  of  Sahara,  whose  authors  have 
devoted  their  Hves  to  the  professed  pursuit  of 
learning.  But  here  is  a  man  whose  formal 
education  could  scarcely  have  gone  beyond  the 
stage  of  the  modern  common  school,  and  who 
for  a  decade  and  a  half  lived  in  an  environ- 
ment of  savagery  wherein  his  life  was  at  no 
time  worth  an  hour's  purchase;  yet  he  has 
written  a  book  instinct  with  literary  charm 
and  artistry.  How  was  the  miracle  wrought? 
I  do  not  profess  to  know,  but  I  rejoice  in  the 
opportunity  which  is  afforded  me  of  helping  to 
give  Henry's  narrative  a  wider  circulation 
than  it  has  hitherto  had,  and  of  bringing  it  to  a 
fresh  circle  of  readers. 

Henry's  book  was  first  pubUshed  at  New 
York  in  1809  with  the  title  "Travels  and  Ad- 
ventures in  Canada  and  the  Indian  Territories 
Between  the  years  i'/6o  and  1776.  How  large  the 
edition  was  we  have  no  information.  Copies 
of  it  have  now  become  so  rare  as  to  be  prac- 
tically inaccessible  to  most  readers.  In  1901 
a  reprint  edition  of  700  copies  was  brought  out 
at  Boston  and  Toronto  under  the  scholarly 
editing  of  James  Bain.  In  this  reprint  the 
typographical  and  other  peculiarities  of  the 
original  edition  were  carefully  preserved,  so 
that  the  text  is  "almost  a  facsimile"  of  the 
earlier  volume.  In  editing  the  narrative  for 
the  Lakeside  Classics  I  have  thought  proper  to 
adopt  a  different  procedure.  While  faithfully 
preserving  the  author's  text  and  footnotes,  no 


i^ii^torical  ^FntroDuction 

effort  has  been  made  to  repeat  the  typograph- 
ical peculiarities  of  the  original  edition,  for 
which,  presumably,  the  printer,  rather  than  the 
author,  was  responsible.  On  the  contrary,  the 
punctuation,  chapter  heads,  and  other  typo- 
graphical details  of  this  edition  are  the  work  of 
the  present  editor;  and  in  a  few  instances, 
where  propriety  clearly  dictated  this  course, 
obvious  errors  in  the  text  have  been  corrected. 
This  procedure  will  not,  of  course,  commend 
the  book  to  professional  scholars,  but  these 
have,  or  can  readily  gain,  access  to  the  original 
edition;  the  Lakeside  Classics  are  issued  for 
the  delectation  of  a  different  class  of  readers. 
The  footnotes  of  the  original  edition  are  dis- 
tinguished from  those  supplied  by  the  editor 
by  the  signature  "author"  or  "editor"  (as  the 
case  may  be)  appended  to  each  note. 

MiLO   M.    QUAIFE. 
Madison,  Wisconsin. 


TRAVELS 
AND  ADVENTURES 

IN 

CANADA 

AND 

THE  INDIAN  TERRITORIES 

BETWEEN 
THE  YEARS  1760  AND  1776 

In  Two  Parts 
By  ALEXANDER  HENRY,  ESQ. 


New   York 

Printed  and  Published  by  I.  Riley 

1809 


DISTRICT  OF  NEW  YORK,  ss. 

BE  IT  REMEMBERED,  That  on  the 
twelfth  day  of  October,  in  the  thirty- 
fourth  year  of  the  Independence  of  the 
United  States  of  America,  ISAAC  RILEY,  of 
the  said  district,  hath  deposited  in  this  office 
the  title  of  a  book,  the  right  whereof  he  claims 
as  proprietor,  in  the  words  following,  to  wit: 

"Travels  and  Adventures  in  Canada  and  the 
Indian  Territories,  between  the  years  1760  and 
1776.  In  two  parts.  By  ALEXANDER  HENRY, 
Esq." 

IN  CONFORMITY  to  the  act  of  the  Con- 
gress of  the  United  States,  entitled,  "An  act 
for  the  encouragement  of  learning,  by  securing 
the  copies  of  maps,  charts,  and  books,  to  the 
authors  and  proprietors  of  such  copies,  during 
the  times  therein  mentioned";  and  to  an 
act,  entitled,  "An  act,  supplementary  to  an  act, 
entitled,  an  act  for  the  encouragement  of 
learning,  by  securing  the  copies  of  maps,  charts 
and  books,  to  the  authors  and  proprietors  of 
such  copies,  during  the  times  therein  mentioned, 
and  extending  the  benefits  thereof  to  the  arts 
of  designing,  engraving  and  etching  historical 
and  other  prints." 

Charles  Clinton, 
Clerk  of  the  District  of  New  York. 


To 

The  Right  Honourable 

SIR  JOSEPH   BANKS,   BARONET; 

Knight  -  Companion 

of  the  Most  Honourable  Order  of  the  Bath; 

one  of  His  Majesty's 

Most  Honourable  Privy  Council; 

President  of  the  Royal  Society,  F.  S.  A. 

&c.    &c.    &c. 

THIS  VOLUME 
with  great  deference, 

is  most  respectfully  dedicated. 

By 

his  very  devoted, 

and  very  humble  servant, 

ALEXANDER   HENRY 


Montreal,  October  20th,  1809. 


pttiact 


A  PREMATURE  attempt  to  share  in  the 
fur  trade  of  Canada,  directly  on  the  con- 
quest of  the  country,  led  the  author  of  the 
following  pages  into  situations  of  some  danger 
and  singularity;  and  the  pursuit,  under  better 
auspices,  of  the  same  branch  of  commerce, 
occasioned  him  to  visit  various  parts  of  the 
Indian  Territories. 

These  transactions  occupied  a  period  of 
sixteen  years,  commencing  nearly  with  the 
author's  setting  out  in  life.  The  details,  from 
time  to  time  committed  to  paper,  form  the  sub- 
ject matter  of  the  present  volume. 

The  heads,  under  which,  for  the  most  part, 
they  will  be  found  to  range  themselves,  are 
three:  first,  the  incidents  or  adventures  in 
which  the  author  was  engaged;  secondly,  the 
observations,  on  the  geography  and  natural 
history  of  the  countries  visited,  which  he  was 
able  to  make,  and  to  preserve;  and,  thirdly, 
the  views  of  society  and  manners,  among  a 
part  of  the  Indians  of  North  America,  which  it 
has  belonged  to  the  course  of  his  narrative  to 
develop. 

Upon  the  last,  the  author  may  be  permitted 
to  remark,  that  he  has  by  no  means  undertaken 
to  write  the  general  history  of  the  American 


Indians,  nor  any  theory  of  their  morals,  or 
their  merits.  With  but  few  exceptions,  it  has 
been  the  entire  scope  of  his  design,  simply  to 
relate  those  particular  facts,  which  are  either 
identified  with  his  own  fortunes,  or  with  the 
truth  of  which  he  is  otherwise  personally  con- 
versant. All  comment,  therefore,  in  almost  all 
instances,  is  studiously  avoided. 

Montreal,  October  20th,  iSog. 


PART  ONE 
Adventures  in  Michigan,  1760-64 


chapter  i 


EMBARKING  UPON  THE  FUR  TRADE 

IN  the  year  1760,  when  the  British  arms 
under  General  Amherst  were  employed  in 
the  reduction  of  Canada,  I  accompanied 
the  expedition  which  subsequently  to  the  sur- 
render of  Quebec  ^  descended  from  Oswego  on 
Lake  Ontario  against  Fort  de  Levi,  one  of  the 
upper  posts  situate  on  an  island  which  lies  on 
the  south  side  of  the  great  river  St.  Lawrence, 
at  a  short  distance  below  the  mouth  of 
the  Oswegatchie.2  Fort  de  Levi  surrendered 
on  the  twenty-first  day  of  August,  seven 
days  after  the  commencement  of  the  siege; 
and  General  Amherst  continued  his  voyage 

1  Quebec  surrendered  on  the  eighteenth  of  September, 
1759. — Author. 

2  Following  the  capture  of  Quebec  by  General  Wolfe, 
the  French  forces  still  remaining  in  the  field  retired  upon 
Montreal.  To  complete  the  conquest  of  Canada,  the 
British  directed,  in  the  summer  of  1760,  three  simul- 
taneous converging  expeditions  against  Montreal. 
The  most  formidable  of  these,  led  by  Amherst,  the 
commander-in-chief,  proceeded  from  Lake  Ontario 
down  the  St.  Lawrence  River — an  army  of  about 
11,000  men  embarked  in  800  bateaux  and  whale-boats. 
Fort  Levis,  near  modern  Ogdensburgh,  N.Y.,  built  by 
the  French  in  1759  to  guard  the  western  entrance  to 
the  St.  Lawrence,  and  garrisoned  by  300  men,  was 
taken  on  August  25  after  a  brief  siege. — Editor. 


^Icrandcr  l^cnrp 


down  the  stream,  carrying  his  forces  against 
Montreal. 

It  happened  that  in  this  voyage  one  of  the 
few  fatal  accidents  which  are  remembered  to 
have  occurred  in  that  dangerous  part  of  the 
river  below  Lake  St.  Fran^ais,  called  the 
Rapides  des  Cadres,  befell  the  British  army. 
Several  boats  loaded  with  provisions  and 
military  stores  were  lost,  together  with  up- 
ward of  a  hundred  men.  I  had  three  boats 
loaded  with  merchandise,  all  of  which  were 
lost;  and  I  saved  my  hfe  only  by  gaining  the 
bottom  of  one  of  my  boats,  which  lay  among 
the  rocky  shelves,  and  on  which  I  continued 
for  some  hours,  and  until  I  was  kindly  taken 
off  by  one  of  the  General's  aides-de-camp. 

The  surrender  of  Montreal,^  and  with  it  the 
surrender  of  all  Canada,  followed  that  of  Fort 
de  Levi  at  only  the  short  interval  of  three 
days,  and  proposing  to  avail  myself  of  the  new 
market  which  was  thus  thrown  open  to  British 
adventure  I  hastened  to  Albany,  where  my 
commercial  connections  were,  and  where  I 
procured  a  quantity  of  goods  with  which  I  set 
out,  intending  to  carry  them  to  Montreal. 
For  this,  however,  the  winter  was  too  near  ap- 
proached; I  was  able  only  to  return  to  Fort 
deLevi  (to  which  the  conquerors  had  now  given 
the  name  of  Fort  William  Augustus)  and  where 
I  remained  until  the  month  of  January  in  the 
following  year. 

^  Montreal  surrendered  September  8,  1760. — Editor. 


At  this  time,  having  disposed  of  my  goods 
to  the  garrison  and  the  season  for  travehng 
on  the  snow  and  ice  being  set  in,  I  prepared  to 
go  down  to  Montreal.  The  journey  was  to  be 
performed  through  a  country  inhabited  only  by 
Indians  and  by  beasts  of  the  forest,  and  which 
presented  to  the  eye  no  other  change  than 
from  thick  woods  to  the  broad  surface  of  a 
frozen  river.  It  was  necessary  that  I  should 
be  accompanied  as  well  by  an  interpreter  as  by 
a  guide,  to  both  of  which  ends  I  engaged  the 
services  of  a  Canadian,  named  Jean  Baptiste 
Bodoine. 

The  snow  which  lay  upon  the  ground  was  by 
this  time  three  feet  in  depth.  The  hour  of  de- 
parture arriving,  I  left  the  fort  on  snowshoes, 
an  article  of  equipment  which  I  had  never  used 
before,  and  which  I  found  it  not  a  little  dif- 
ficult to  manage.  I  did  not  avoid  frequent 
falls;  and  when  down  I  was  scarcely  able  to 
rise. 

At  sunset  on  the  first  day  we  reached  an 
Indian  encampment  of  six  lodges  and  about 
twenty  men.  As  these  people  had  been  very 
recently  employed  offensively  against  the 
English,  in  the  French  service,  I  agreed  but 
reluctantly  to  the  proposal  of  my  guide  and 
interpreter,  which  was  nothing  less  than  that 
we  should  pass  the  night  with  them.  My  fears 
were  somewhat  lulled  by  his  information  that 
he  was  personally  acquainted  with  those  who 
composed  the  camp,  and  by  his  assurances 


^leranticr  Jpenrp 


that  no  danger  was  to  be  apprehended;  and 
being  greatly  fatigued,  I  entered  one  of  the 
lodges,  where  I  presently  fell  asleep. 

Unfortunately  Bodoine  had  brought  upon 
his  back  a  small  keg  of  rum,  which,  while  I 
slept,  he  opened,  not  only  for  himself  but  for 
the  general  gratification  of  his  friends;  a  cir- 
cumstance of  which  I  was  first  made  aware  in 
being  awakened  by  a  kick  on  the  breast  from 
the  foot  of  one  of  my  hosts,  and  by  a  yell  or 
Indian  cry  which  immediately  succeeded.  At 
the  instant  of  opening  my  eyes  I  saw  that 
my  assailant  was  struggling  with  one  of  his 
companions,  who,  in  conjunction  with  several 
women,  was  endeavoring  to  restrain  his 
ferocity.  Perceiving,  however,  in  the  coun- 
tenance of  my  enemy  the  most  determined  mis- 
chief, I  sprung  upon  my  feet,  receiving  in  so 
doing  a  wound  in  my  hand  from  a  knife  which 
had  been  raised  to  give  a  more  serious  wound. 
While  the  rest  of  my  guardians  continued  their 
charitable  efforts  for  my  protection,  an  old 
woman  took  hold  of  my  arm,  and  making  signs 
that  I  should  accompany  her,  led  me  out  of  the 
lodge,  and  then  gave  me  to  understand  that 
unless  I  fled  or  could  conceal  myself  I  should 
certainly  be  killed. 

My  guide  was  absent,  and  without  his  direc- 
tion I  was  at  a  loss  where  to  go.  In  all  the  sur- 
rounding lodges  there  was  the  same  howUng 
and  violence  as  in  that  from  which  I  had  es- 
caped.  I  was  without  my  snowshoes,  and  had 


Crabcl^  anti  ^Dbcnture^ 

only  so  much  clothing  as  I  had  fortunately  left 
upon  me  when  I  lay  down  to  sleep.  It  was  now 
one  o'clock  in  the  morning  in  the  month  of 
January,  and  in  a  cHmate  of  extreme  rigor. 

I  was  unable  to  address  a  single  word  in  her 
own  language  to  the  old  woman  who  had  thus 
befriended  me;  but  on  repeating  the  name  of 
Bodoine,  I  soon  found  that  she  comprehended 
my  meaning;  and  having  first  pointed  to  a 
large  tree,  behind  which  she  made  signs  that 
imtil  she  could  find  my  guide  I  should  hide 
myself,  she  left  me  on  this  important  errand. 
Meanwhile,  I  made  my  way  to  the  tree  and 
seated  myself  in  the  snow.  From  my  retreat 
I  beheld  several  Indians  running  from  one 
lodge  to  another,  as  if  to  quell  the  disturbance 
which  prevailed. 

The  coldness  of  the  atmosphere  congealed 
the  blood  about  my  wound  and  prevented  fur- 
ther bleeding;  and  the  anxious  state  of  my 
mind  rendered  me  almost  insensible  to  bodily 
sufifering.  At  the  end  of  half  an  hour  I  heard 
myself  called  by  Bodoine,  whom,  on  going  to 
him,  I  found  as  much  intoxicated  and  as  much 
a  savage  as  the  Indians  themselves;  but  he  was, 
nevertheless,  able  to  fetch  my  snowshoes  from 
the  lodge  in  which  I  had  left  them,  and  to 
point  out  to  me  a  beaten  path,  which  presently 
entered  a  deep  wood,  and  which  he  told  me  I 
must  follow. 

After  walking  about  three  miles  I  heard,  at 
length,  the  footsteps  of  my  guide,  who  had  now 


^lexanlicr  i^rnrp 


overtaken  me.  I  thought  it  most  prudent  to 
abstain  from  all  reproof;  and  we  proceeded  on 
our  march  till  sunrise,  when  we  arrived  at 
a  solitary  Indian  hunting-lodge,  built  with 
branches  of  trees,  and  of  which  the  only  in- 
habitants were  an  Indian  and  his  wife.  Here 
the  warmth  of  a  large  fire  reconciled  me  to  a 
second  experiment  on  Indian  hospitality.  The 
result  was  very  different  from  that  of  the  one 
which  had  preceded  it;  for  after  relieving  my 
thirst  with  melted  snow  and  my  hunger  with  a 
plentiful  meal  of  venison,  of  which  there  was  a 
great  quantity  in  the  lodge,  and  which  was 
liberally  set  before  me,  I  resumed  my  journey, 
full  of  sentiments  of  gratitude,  such  as  almost 
obliterated  the  recollection  of  what  had  be- 
fallen me  among  the  friends  of  my  benefactors. 

From  the  hunting  lodge  I  followed  my  guide 
till  evening,  when  we  encamped  on  the  banks 
of  the  St.  Lawrence,  making  a  fire  and  supping 
on  the  meat  with  which  our  wallets  had  been 
filled  in  the  morning. 

While  I  indulged  myself  in  rest  my  guide 
visited  the  shore,  where  he  discovered  a  bark 
canoe  which  had  been  left  there  in  the  be- 
ginning of  the  winter  by  some  Indian  way- 
farers. We  were  now  at  the  head  of  the  Longue 
Sault,  one  of  those  portions  of  the  river  in 
which  it  passes  over  a  shallow,  inclining,  and 
rocky  bed,  and  where  its  motion  consequently 
prevents  it  from  freezing,  even  in  the  coldest 
part  of  the  year;  and  my  guide,  as  soon  as  he 


€raijrij0i  anU  9lDbenturej^ 

had  made  his  discovery,  recommended  that 
we  should  go  by  water  down  the  rapids,  as 
the  means  of  saving  time,  of  shortening  our 
journey,  and  of  avoiding  a  numerous  body 
of  Indians  then  hunting  on  the  banks  below. 
The  last  of  these  arguments  was  with  me  so 
powerful  that  though  a  bark  canoe  was  a 
vehicle  to  which  I  was  altogether  a  stranger, 
though  this  was  a  very  small  one  of  only  six- 
teen or  eighteen  feet  in  length  *  and  much  out 
of  repair,  and  though  the  misfortune  which  I 
had  experienced  in  the  navigation  of  these 
rocky  parts  of  the  St.  Lawrence  when  de- 
scending with  the  army  naturally  presented 
itself  to  my  mind  as  a  still  further  discourage- 
ment, yet  I  was  not  long  in  resolving  to  under- 
take the  voyage. 

Accordingly,  after  stopping  the  leaks  as 
completely  as  we  were  able  we  embarked  and 
proceeded.  My  fears  were  not  lessened  by  per- 
ceiving that  the  least  unskilful  motion  was 
sufficient  to  overset  the  ticklish  craft  into 
which  I  had  ventured;  by  the  reflection  that  a 
shock  comparatively  gentle  from  a  mass  of 
rock  or  ice  was  more  than  its  frail  material 
could  sustain;  nor  by  observing  that  the  ice, 
which  Hned  the  shores  of  the  river,  was  too 
strong  to  be  pushed  through  and  at  the  same 
time  too  weak  to  be  walked  upon,  so  that  in 
the  event  of  disaster  it  would  be  almost  im- 
possible to  reach  the  land.  In  fact,  we  had  not 

*  There  are  still  smaller. — Author. 


^Icrantier  ipcnrp 


proceeded  more  than  a  mile  when  our  canoe 
became  full  of  water,  and  it  was  not  till  after  a 
long  search  that  we  found  a  place  of  safety. 

Treading  once  more  upon  dry  ground,  I 
should  willingly  have  faced  the  wilderness  and 
all  its  Indians  rather  than  embark  again;  but 
my  guide  informed  me  that  I  was  upon  an 
island,  and  I  had  therefore  no  choice  before 
me.  We  stopped  the  leaks  a  second  time  and 
recommenced  our  voyage,  which  we  performed 
with  success,  but  sitting  all  the  way  in  six 
inches  of  water.  In  this  manner  we  arrived 
at  the  foot  of  the  rapids,  where  the  river  was 
frozen  all  across.  Here  we  disembarked  upon 
the  ice,  walked  to  the  bank,  made  a  fire,  and 
encamped;  for  such  is  the  phrase  employed  in 
the  woods  of  Canada. 

At  daybreak  the  next  morning  we  put  on  our 
snowshoes  and  commenced  our  journey  over 
the  ice;  and  at  ten  o'clock  arrived  in  sight  of 
Lake  St.  Frangais,  which  is  from  four  to  six 
miles  in  breadth.  The  wind  was  high  and  the 
snow,  drifting  over  the  expanse,  prevented  us 
at  times  from  discovering  the  land,  and  con- 
sequently (for  compass  we  had  none)  from 
pursuing  with  certainty  our  course. 

Toward  noon  the  storm  became  so  violent 
that  we  directed  our  steps  to  the  shore  on  the 
north  side  by  the  shortest  route  we  could;  and 
making  a  fire,  dined  on  the  remains  of  the 
Indian  hunter's  bounty.  At  two  o'clock  in  the' 
afternoon,  when  the  wind  had  subsided  and 


the  atmosphere  grown  more  clear,  I  discerned 
a  cariole,  or  sledge,  moving  our  way,  and  im- 
mediately sent  my  guide  to  the  driver  with  a 
request  that  he  would  come  to  my  encamp- 
ment. On  his  arrival  I  agreed  with  him  to 
carry  me  to  Les  Cedres,  a  distance  of  eight 
leagues,  for  a  reward  of  eight  dollars.  The 
driver  was  a  Canadian  who  had  been  to  the 
Indian  village  of  St.  Regis,  and  was  now  on  his 
return  to  Les  Cedres,  then  the  uppermost 
white  settlement  on  the  St.  Lawrence. 

Late  in  the  evening  I  reached  Les  Cedres, 
and  was  carried  to  the  house  of  M.  Leduc,  its 
seignior,  by  whom  I  was  politely  and  hospi- 
tably received.  M.  Leduc  being  disposed  to 
converse  with  me,  it  became  a  subject  of  re- 
gret that  neither  party  understood  the  lan- 
guage of  the  other;  but  an  interpreter  was 
fortunately  found  in  the  person  of  a  serjeant 
of  His  Majesty's  Eighteenth  Regiment  of 
Foot. 

I  now  learned  that  M.  Leduc  in  the  earlier 
part  of  his  life  had  been  engaged  in  the  fur 
trade  with  the  Indians  of  Michilimackinac  and 
Lake  Superior.  He  informed  me  of  his  ac- 
quaintance with  the  Indian  languages  and  his 
knowledge  of  furs,  and  gave  me  to  understand 
that  Michilimackinac  was  richer  in  this  com- 
modity than  any  other  part  of  the  world.  He 
added  that  the  Indians  were  a  peaceable  race 
of  men,  and  that  an  European  might  travel 
from  one  side  of  the  continent  to  the  other 


^leranDcr  l^cnrp 


without  experiencing  insult.  Further,  he  men- 
tioned that  a  guide  who  Hved  at  no  great  dis- 
tance from  his  house  could  confirm  the  truth 
of  all  that  he  had  advanced. 

I,  who  had  previously  thought  of  visiting 
Michilimackinac  with  a  view  to  the  Indian 
trade,  gave  the  strictest  attention  to  all  that 
fell  on  this  subject  from  my  host;  and  in  order 
to  possess  myself  as  far  as  possible  of  all  that 
might  be  collected  in  addition,  I  requested  that 
the  guide  should  be  sent  for.  This  man  arrived, 
and  a  short  conversation  terminated  in  my 
engaging  him  to  conduct  myself,  and  the 
canoes  which  I  was  to  procure,  to  Michili- 
mackinac in  the  month  of  June  following. 

There  being  at  this  time  no  goods  in  Mont- 
real adapted  to  the  Indian  trade,  my  next 
business  was  to  proceed  to  Albany  to  make  my 
purchases  there.  This  I  did  in  the  beginning 
of  the  month  of  May,  by  the  way  of  Lake 
Champlain;  and  on  the  fifteenth  of  June  ar- 
rived again  in  IMontreal,  bringing  with  me  my 
outfits.  As  I  was  altogether  a  stranger  to  the 
commerce  in  which  I  was  engaging,  I  confided 
in  the  recommendations  given  me  of  one  Eti- 
enne  Campion,^  as  my  assistant;  a  part  which 

*  Etienne  Campion,  a  native  of  Montreal,  was  for 
several  decades  a  prominent  trader  in  the  western 
country.  During  the  Revolution  he  was  an  active 
British  partisan  in  the  Northwest.  When,  in  Decem- 
ber, 1780,  the  little  raiding  party  of  Cahokians  fell 
upon  St.  Joseph,  Michigan,  and  plundered  the  traders 
there,  Campion  led  the  party  of  pursuers  that  was 


he  uniformly  fulfilled  with  honesty  and  fidelity. 
His  Excellency,  General  Gage,  who  now 
commanded  in  chief  in  Canada,  very  reluc- 
tantly granted  me  the  permission  at  this  time 
requisite  for  going  to  Michilimackinac.  No 
treaty  of  peace  had  yet  been  made  between 
the  English  and  the  Indians,  which  latter  were 
in  arms  under  Pontiac,  an  Indian  leader  of 
more  than  common  celebrity,  and  General 
Gage  was  therefore  strongly  and  (as  it  became 
manifest)  but  too  justly  apprehensive  that 
both  the  property  and  hves  of  His  Majesty's 
subjects  would  be  very  insecure  in  the  Indian 
countries.  But  he  had  already  granted  such 
permission  to  a  Mr.  Bostwick,^  and  this  I  was 
able  to  employ  as  an  argument  against  his 
refusal  in  respect  to  myself.  General  Gage 
complied,  and  on  the  third  day  of  August, 

hastily  formed  and  in  the  battle  which  ensued,  Decem- 
ber 5, 1780,  somewhere  in  the  vicinity  of  South  Chicago, 
all  but  three  of  the  raiders  were  killed  or  captured. 
Capipion's  name  appears  in  numerous  Mackinac  doc- 
uments coming  down  to  the  year  1 794. — Editor. 

*  This  was  Henry  Bostwick,  the  first  English  trader 
to  go  to  Mackinac  after  the  surrender  of  Montreal. 
Although  in  August,  1 761,  he  is  reported  as  being  at 
Detroit  (Diary  of  Sir  William  Johnson),  he  seems  to 
have  made  Mackinac  his  permanent  headquarters. 
He  was  captured  here  by  the  Chippewa,  in  June,  1763, 
and  carried  by  the  Ottawa  to  Montreal  for  ransom. 
Various  documents  show  his  residence  at  Mackinac  in 
the  following  years;  among  others,  he  was  a  signer  in 
1 781  of  the  treaty  whereby  Governor  Patrick  Sinclair 
purchased  Mackinac  Island  from  the  natives. — Editor. 

13 


Sllcranticr  l^cnrp 


1 761,  after  some  further  delay  in  obtaining  a 
passport  from  the  town-major,  I  dispatched 
my  canoes  to  Lachine,  there  to  take  in  their 
lading. 


14 


THE  VOYAGE  TO  MACKINAC 

THE  inland  navigation  from  Montreal 
to  Michilimackinac  may  be  performed 
either  by  the  way  of  Lakes  Ontario  and 
Erie,  or  by  the  river  Des  Outaouais,  Lake 
Nipisingue,  and  the  river  Des  Fran^ais/  for 
as  well  by  one  as  the  other  of  these  routes 
we  are  carried  to  Lake  Huron.  The  second  is 
the  shortest  and  that  which  is  usually  pursued 
by  the  canoes  employed  in  the  Indian  trade. 

The  canoes  which  I  provided  for  my  under- 
taking were,  as  is  usual,  five  fathoms  and  a  half 
in  length  and  four  feet  and  a  half  in  their  ex- 
treme breadth,  and  formed  of  birch-tree  bark 
a  quarter  of  an  inch  in  thickness.  The  bark 
is  lined  with  small  splints  of  cedar- wood;  and 
the  vessel  is  further  strengthened  with  ribs 
of  the  same  wood,  of  which  the  two  ends  are 
fastened  to  the  gunwales;  several  bars,  rather 
than  seats,  are  also  laid  across  the  canoe,  from 
gunwale  to  gunwale.  The  small  roots  of  the 
spruce  tree  afford  the  wattap,  with  which 
the  bark  is  sewed;  and  the  gum  of  the  pine 
tree  supplies  the  place  of  tar  and  oakum. 
Bark,  some  spare  wattap,  and  gum  are  always 

^  The  Ottawa  River,  Lake  Nipissing  and  French 
River. — Editor. 

IS 


9llcrantier  l^enrp 


carried  in  each  canoe  for  the  repairs  which 
frequently  become  necessary. 

The  canoes  are  worked,  not  with  oars  but 
with  paddles,  and  occasionally  with  a  sail. 
To  each  canoe  there  are  eight  men;  and  to 
every  three  or  four  canoes,  which  constitute  a 
brigade,  there  is  a  guide  or  conductor.  Skilful 
men,  at  double  the  wages  of  the  rest,  are  placed 
in  the  head  and  stern.  They  engage  to  go 
from  Montreal  to  Michilimackinac  and  back 
to  Montreal  again,  the  middle-men  at  one 
hundred  and  fifty  livres  and  the  end-men  at 
three  hundred  livres  each.*  The  guide  has  the 
command  of  his  brigade  and  is  answerable  for 
all  pillage  and  loss;  and  in  return  every  man's 
wages  is  answerable  to  him.  This  regulation 
was  established  under  the  French  government. 

The  freight  of  a  canoe  of  the  substance  and 
dimensions  which  I  have  detailed  consists  in 
sixty  pieces,  or  packages  of  merchandise,  of 
the  weight  of  from  ninety  to  a  hundred  pounds 
each,  and  provisions  to  the  amount  of  one 
thousand  weight.  To  this  ig  to  be  added  the 
weight  of  eight  men  and  of  eight  bags  weighing 
forty  pounds  each,  one  of  which  every  man  is 
privileged  to  put  on  board.  The  whole  weight 
must  therefore  exceed  eight  thousand  pounds, 
or  may  perhaps  be  averaged  at  four  tons. 

The  nature  of  the  navigation  which  is  to  be 

'  These  particulars  may  be  compared  with  those  of  a 
more  modern  date,  given  in  the  Voyages  of  Sir  Alex- 
ander Mackenzie. — Author. 

i6 


r 


described  will  suf&ciently  explain  why  the 
canoe  is  the  only  vessel  which  can  be  em- 
ployed along  its  course.  The  necessity,  indeed, 
becomes  apparent  at  the  very  instant  of  our 
departure  from  Montreal  itself. 

The  St.  Lawrence  for  several  miles  immedi- 
ately above  Montreal  descends  with  a  rapid 
current  over  a  shallow,  rocky  bed;  insomuch 
that  even  canoes  themselves,  when  loaded, 
cannot  resist  the  stream,  and  are  therefore 
sent  empty  to  Lachine,  where  they  meet  the 
merchandise  which  they  are  to  carry,  and 
which  is  transported  thither  by  land.^  La- 
chine  is  about  nine  miles  higher  up  the  river 
than  Montreal,  and  is  at  the  head  of  the 
Sault  de  St.  Louis,  which  is  the  highest  of 
the  saults,  falls,  or  leaps  in  this  part  of  the 
St.  Lawrence. 

On  the  third  of  August  I  sent  my  canoes  to 
Lachine,  and  on  the  following  morning  em- 
barked with  them  for  Michilimackinac.  The 
river  is  here  so  broad  as  to  be  denominated  a 
lake,  by  the  title  of  Lake  St.  Louis;  the  pros- 
pect is  wide  and  cheerful;  and  the  village  has 
several  well-built  houses. 

In  a  short  time  we  reached  the  rapids  and 
carrying-place  of  St.  Anne,  two  miles  below 

^  La  Chine,  or  China,  has  always  been  the  point  of 
departure  for  the  upper  countries.  It  owes  its  name  to 
the  expeditions  of  M.  de  la  Salle  which  were  fitted  out 
at  this  place  for  the  discovery  of  a  northwest  passage 
to  China. — Author. 

17 


^iejcantjcr  l^cnrp 


the  upper  end  of  the  island  of  Montreal;  and  it 
is  not  till  after  passing  these  that  the  voyage 
may  be  properly  said  to  be  commenced.  At 
St.  Anne's  the  men  go  to  confession,  and  at 
the  same  time  offer  up  their  vows;  for  the 
saint  from  whom  this  parish  derives  its  name 
and  to  whom  its  church  is  dedicated,  is  the 
patroness  of  the  Canadians  in  all  their  travels 
by  water.^" 

There  is  still  a  further  custom  to  be  observed 
on  arriving  at  St.  Anne's,  and  which  is  that 
of  distributing  eight  gallons  of  rum  to  each 
canoe  (a  gallon  for  each  man)  for  consumption 
during  the  voyage;  nor  is  it  less  according  to 
custom  to  drink  the  whole  of  this  liquor  upon 
the  spot.  The  saint,  therefore,  and  the  priest 
were  no  sooner  dismissed  than  a  scene  of  intox- 
ication began  in  which  my  men  surpassed,  if 
possible,  the  drunken  Indian  in  singing,  fight- 
ing, and  the  display  of  savage  gesture  and  con- 
ceit.   In  the  morning  we  reloaded  the  canoes 

"  Peter  Pond,  a  Connecticut  Yankee  who  went  out 
to  the  western  countr>'  as  a  trader  in  1 773,  thus  quaintly 
describes  this  aspect  of  the  journey:  "As  you  Pass 
the  End  of  the  Island  of  Montreal  to  Go  in  a  Small 
Lake  Cald  the  Lake  of  the  [Two]  Mountains  thare 
stans  a  Small  Roman  Church  Aganst  a  Small  Raped. 
This  Church  is  Dedacated  to  St.  Ann  who  Protects  all 
Voigers.  Heare  is  a  small  Box  with  a  Hole  in  the  top 
for  ye  Reseption  of  a  Little  Money  lor  the  Hole  Father 
or  to  say  a  small  Mass  for  those  Who  Put  a  small  Sum 
in  the  Bo.x.  Scars  a  Voiger  but  stops  hear  and  Puts  in 
his  mite  and  By  that  Meanes  thay  Suppose  thay  are 
Protected."— PFw.  Hisl.  Colls.,  XVIII,  326.— Editor. 

18 


€rabcli0f  and  ^Hbrnture^ 

and  pursued  our  course  across  the  Lake  des 
Deux  Montagnes. 

This  lake,  like  that  of  St.  Louis,  is  only  a 
part  of  the  estuary  of  the  Outaouais,  which 
here  unites  itself  with  the  St.  Lawrence,  or 
rather,  according  to  some,  the  Cataraqui; 
for,  with  these,  the  St.  Lawrence  is  formed 
by  the  confluence  of  the  Cataraqui  and  Out- 
aouais.^^ 

At  noon  we  reached  the  Indian  Mission  of 
the  Seminary  of  St.  Sulpice,  situate  on  the 
north  bank  of  the  lake,  with  its  two  villages, 
Algonquin  and  Iroquois,  in  each  of  which  was 
reckoned  an  hundred  souls.  Here  we  received 
a  hospitable  reception  and  remained  during 
two  hours.  I  was  informed  by  one  of  the  mis- 
sionaries that  since  the  conquest  of  the  country 
the  unrestrained  introduction  of  spirituous  Hq- 
uors  at  this  place,  which  had  not  been  allowed 
under  the  former  government,  had  occasioned 
many  outrages. 

At  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  we  prose- 
cuted our  voyage;  and  at  sunset  disembarked 
and  encamped  at  the  foot  of  the  Longue  Sault. 
There  is  a  Longue  Sault  both  on  this  river  and 
on  the  St.  Lawrence. 

At  ten  leagues  above  the  island  of  Montreal 
I  passed  the  limits  of  the  cultivated  lands  on 
the  north   bank  of  the  Outaouais.     On  the 

"  This  is  the  Uiawas  of  some  writers,  the  Ollaway  of 
others,  etc.,  etc.,  etc.  It  is  also  called  the  Grand  River 
— la  Grande  Rividre. — Author. 

19 


^kjcauticr  l^enrp 


south,  the  farms  are  very  few  in  number,  but 
the  soil  has  every  appearance  of  fertility.^ 

In  ascending  the  Longue  Sault,  a  distance  of 
three  miles,  my  canoes  were  three  times  unladen, 
and  together  with  their  freight  carried  on  the 
shoulders  of  the  voyageurs.  The  rocky  carry- 
ing-places are  not  crossed  without  danger  of 
serious  accidents  by  men  bearing  heavy  burdens. 

The  Longue  Sault  being  passed,  the  Outa- 
ouais  presented  on  either  side  only  scenes  of 
primitive  forest,  the  common  range  of  the 
deer,  the  wolf,  the  bear,  and  the  Indian.  The 
current  is  here  gentle.  The  lands  upon  the 
south  are  low,  and  when  I  passed  them  were 
overflowed;  but  on  the  northern  side  the  banks 
are  dry  and  elevated,  with  much  meadow^  land 
at  their  feet.  The  grass  in  some  places  was 
high.  Several  islands  are  in  this  part  of  the 
river.  Among  the  fish,  of  which  there  are 
abundance,  are  catfish  of  a  large  size. 

At  fourteen  leagues  above  the  Longue 
Sault  we  reached  a  French  fort,  or  trading 
house,  surrounded  by  a  stockade.  Attached 
was  a  small  garden  from  which  we  procured 
some  vegetables.  The  house  had  no  inhabitant. 
At  three  leagues  farther  is  the  mouth  of  the 
Hare  River,  which  descends  from  the  north, 
and  here  we  passed  another  trading  house. 
At  a  few  leagues  still  higher  on  the  south  bank 
is  the  mouth  of  a  river  four  hundred  yards 

'2  Numerous  and  thriving  colonists  are  now  enjoying 
that  fertility — 1809. — Author. 


wide,  and  which  falls  into  the  Outaouais  per- 
pendicularly from  the  edge  of  a  rock  forty  feet 
high.  The  appearance  of  this  fall  has  procured 
for  it  the  name  of  the  rideau,  or  curtain;  and 
hence  the  river  itself  is  called  the  Rideau,  or 
Riviere  du  Rideau.  The  fall  presented  itself  to 
my  view  with  extraordinary  beauty  and  mag- 
nificence, and  decorated  with  a  variety  of  colors. 
Still  ascending  the  Outaouais,  at  three 
leagues  from  the  fall  of  the  Rideau  is  that  of 
La  Grande  Chaudiere,^^  a  phenomenon  of  a 
different  aspect.  Here,  on  the  north  side  of  the 
river,  is  a  deep  chasm  running  across  the  chan- 
nel for  about  two  hundred  yards,  from  twenty- 
five  to  thirty  feet  in  depth  and  without  appar- 
ent outlet.  In  this  receptacle  a  large  portion 
of  the  river  falls  perpendicularly  with  a  loud 
noise,  and  amid  a  cloud  of  spray  and  vapor, 
but  embelhshed  from  time  to  time  with  the 
bright  and  gorgeous  rainbow.  The  river  at 
this  place  is  a  mile  in  width.  In  the  rainy 
season  the  depth  of  the  fall  is  lessened  by  reason ' 
of  the  large  quantity  of  water  which  is  received 
into  the  chasm,  and  which  for  want,  as  it 
would  seem,  of  a  sufficient  drain,  in  part,  fills 
it  up.  At  such  times  an  eddy  and  an  accumu- 
lation of  foam  at  a  particular  chasm  have  led 
me  to  suspect  the  existence  of  an  opening  be- 
neath through  which  the  water  finds  a  sub- 
terranean passage.   The  rock  which  forms  the 

1'  La  Grande  Chaudiere,  i.  e.  the  Great  Kettle. — 
Author. 


^Icrantier  i^cnrp 


bed  of  the  river  appears  to  be  split  in  an  ob- 
lique direction  from  one  shore  to  the  other; 
and  the  chasm  on  the  north  side  is  only  a  more 
perfect  breach. 

The  fall  of  La  Grande  Chaudiere  is  more 
than  twenty  leagues  above  the  Longue  Sault. 
Its  name  is  justified  both  by  its  form  and  by 
the  vapor,  or  steam,  which  ascends  from  it. 
Above  it  there  are  several  islands,  of  which  the 
land  is  higher  at  the  upper  than  at  the  lower 
extremities.  The  carrying-place  is  not  more 
than  a  quarter  of  a  mile  in  length,  over  a 
smooth  rock,  and  so  near  the  fall  that  the  men 
in  passing  are  wetted  by  the  spray.  From 
this  carrying-place  to  another  of  rather  more 
length,  called  the  Portage  de  la  Chaudiere  and 
sometimes  the  Second  Chaudiere,  is  only  three 
miles. 

In  this  part  of  the  voyage  I  narrowly  escaped 
a  fatal  accident.  A  thunder-gust  having 
obliged  us  to  make  the  shore,  the  men  went 
into  the  woods  for  shelter  while  I  remained  in 
my  canoe  under  a  covering  of  bark.  The  canoe 
had  been  intended  to  be  sufficiently  drawn 
aground;  but  to  my  consternation  it  was  not 
long  before,  while  thus  left  alone,  I  perceived 
it  to  be  adrift  and  going  with  the  current  to- 
ward La  Grande  Chaudiere.  Happily  I  made 
a  timely  discovery  of  my  situation,  and  getting 
out  in  shallow  water  was  enabled  by  the 
assistance  of  the  men,  who  soon  heard  my 
call,  to  save  my  property  along  with  my  life. 


At  twelve  miles  from  the  second  Portage  de 
la  Chaudiere  there  is  a  third  Chaudiere,  but 
also  called  the  Portage  des  Chenes.  The 
name  of  this  carrying-place  is  derived  from  the 
oak  trees  with  which  it  abounds.  It  is  half  a 
mile  in  length,  level,  and  of  an  agreeable 
aspect. 

The  bed  of  the  river  is  here  very  broad  for  a 
space  of  twelve  leagues,  or  thirty-six  miles; 
and  in  this  part  of  its  course  it  is  called  Lake 
des  Chaudieres,  a  name  derived  from  the  falls 
below.  The  current  in  this  place  is  scarcely 
perceptible.  The  lands  on  either  side  are  high 
and  the  soil  is  good.  At  the  head  of  Lake  des 
Chaudieres  is  the  Portage  des  Chats.  The 
carrying-place  is  a  high,  uneven  rock  of  diffi- 
cult access.  The  ridge  of  rock  crosses  the 
stream  and  occasions  not  only  one  but  nu- 
merous falls,  separated  from  each  other  by 
islands  and  affording  a  scene  of  very  pleasing 
appearance.  At  the  distance  of  a  mile  seven 
openings  present  themselves  to  the  eye  along  a 
line  of  two  miles,  which  at  this  point  is  the 
breadth  of  the  river.  At  each  opening  is  a  fall 
of  water  of  about  thirty  feet  in  height,  and 
which  from  the  whiteness  of  its  foam  might  be 
mistaken  for  a  snowbank.  Above,  for  six 
miles  there  are  many  islands,  between  which 
the  current  is  strong.  To  overcome  the  diffi- 
culties of  this  paf t  of  the  navigation  the  canoes 
first  carry  one-half  of  their  loading,  and  at  a 
second  trip  the  remainder. 

23 


^kjrantici:  i^cnrp 


Above  the  islands  the  river  is  six  miles  in 
width,  and  is  called  Lake  des  Chats.  The  lake, 
so  called,  is  thirty  miles  long.  The  lands 
about  the  lake  are  like  those  of  Lake  des 
Chaudieres;  but  higher  up  they  are  both  high 
and  rocky,  and  covered  with  no  other  wood 
than  spruce  and  stunted  pine. 

While  paddhng  against  the  gentle  current  of 
Lake  des  Chats  we  met  several  canoes  of 
Indians  returning  from  their  winter's  hunt  to 
their  village  at  the  Lake  des  Deux  Monta- 
gnes.  I  purchased  some  of  their  maple  sugar 
and  beaver  skins  in  exchange  for  provisions. 
They  wished  for  rum,  which  I  declined  to  sell 
them;  but  they  behaved  civilly,  and  we  parted 
as  we  had  met,  in  a  friendly  manner.  Before 
they  left  us  they  inquired  of  my  men  whether 
or  not  I  was  an  EngUshman,  and  being  told 
that  I  was,  they  observed  that  the  English 
were  mad  in  their  pursuit  of  beaver,  since  they 
could  thus  expose  their  lives  for  it;  "for,"  add- 
ed they,  "  the  Upper  Indians  will  certainly  kill 
him,"  meaning  myself.  These  Indians  had 
left  their  village  before  the  surrender  of  Mon- 
treal and  I  was  the  first  Englishman  they  had 
seen. 

In  conversation  with  my  men  I  learned  that 
the  Algonquins  of  the  Lake  des  Deux  Mon- 
tagnes,  of  which  description  were  the  party 
that  I  had  now  met,  claim  all  the  lands  on  the 
Outaouais  as  far  as  Lake  Nipisingue;  and  that 
these    lands    are    subdivided    between    their 

24 


several  families  upon  whom  they  have  de- 
volved by  inheritance.  I  was  also  informed 
that  they  are  exceedingly  strict  as  to  the  rights 
of  property  in  this  regard,  accounting  an  in- 
vasion of  them  an  offense  sufficiently  great  to 
warrant  the  death  of  the  invader. 

We  now  reached  the  channels  of  the  Grand 
Calumet,  which  lie  amid  numerous  islands, 
and  are  about  twenty  miles  in  length.  In 
this  distance  there  are  four  carrying-places,^* 
besides  three  or  four  decharges,^^  or  discharges, 
which  are  places  where  the  merchandise  only 
is  carried,  and  are  therefore  distinguishable 
from  portages,  or  carrying-places  where  the 
canoe  itself  is  taken  out  of  the  water  and  trans- 
ported on  men 's  shoulders.  The  four  carrying- 
places  included  in  the  channels  are  short,  with 
the  exception  of  one,  called  the  Portage  de  la 
Montagne,  at  which,  besides  its  length,  there 
is  an  acclivity  of  a  hundred  feet. 

On  the  tenth  of  July  ^^  we  reached  the  Port- 
age du  Grand  Calumet,  which  is  at  the  head  of 
the  channels  of  the  same  name,  and  which 
name  is  derived  from  the  pierre  a  Calumet," 
or  pipe-stone,  which  here  interrupts  the  river, 

"  Portage  Dufort,  etc. — Author. 

1^  Decharge  des  Sables,  etc. — Author. 

'^  The  month  was  now  August. — Editor. 

"  The  pierre  a  Calumet  is  a  compact  limestone, 
yielding  easily  to  the  knife,  and  therefore  employed  for 
the  bowls  of  tobacco  pipes,  both  by  the  Indians  and 
Canadians. — Author. 

25       . 


^lejcautiet  ^enrp 


occasioning  a  fall  of  water.  This  carrying-place 
is  long  and  arduous,  consisting  in  a  high  steep 
hill,  over  which  the  canoe  cannot  be  carried 
by  fewer  than  twelve  men.  The  method  of 
carrying  the  packages,  or  pieces,  as  they  are 
called,  is  the  same  with  that  of  the  Indian 
women,  and  which  indeed  is  not  pecuHar  even 
to  them.  One  piece  rests  and  hangs  upon  the 
shoulders,  being  suspended  in  a  fillet,  or  fore- 
head-band; and  upon  this  is  laid  a  second, 
which  usually  falls  into  the  hollow  of  the  neck, 
and  assists  the  head  in  its  support  of  the 
burden. 

The  ascent  of  this  carrying-place  is  not  more 
fatiguing  than  the  descent  is  dangerous;  and 
in  performing  it  accidents  too  often  occur, 
producing  strains,  ruptures,  and  injuries  for 
life.18 

The  carrying-place  and  the  repairs  of  our 
canoes,  which  cost  us  a  day,  detained  us  till  the 
thirteenth.  It  is  usual  for  the  canoes  to  leave 
the  Grand  Calumet  in  good  repair;  the  rapids, 
or  shallow  rocky  parts  of  the  channel  (from 
which  the  canoes  sustain  the  chief  injury) 
being  now  passed,  the  current  becomes  gentle, 
and  the  carrying-places  less  frequent.  The 
lands  above  the  carrying-places  and  near  the 
water  are  low,  and  in  the  spring  entirely 
inundated. 

"  A  charitable  fund  is  now  established  in  Montreal 
for  the  relief  of  disabled  and  decayed  voyageurs. — 
Author. 

26 


On  the  morning  of  the  fourteenth  we  reached 
a  trading  fort,  or  house,  surrounded  by  a  stock- 
ade, which  had  been  built  by  the  French,  and 
at  which  the  quantity  of  peltries  received  was 
once  not  inconsiderable.  For  twenty  miles 
below  this  house  the  borders  of  the  river  are 
peculiarly  well  adapted  to  cultivation.  From 
some  Indians  who  were  encamped  near  the 
house  I  purchased  fish,  dried  and  fresh. 

At  the  rapids  called  Des  Allumettes  are 
two  short  carrying-places,  above  which  is  the 
Riviere  Creuse,^^  twenty-six  miles  in  length, 
where  the  water  flows  with  a  gentle  current 
at  the  foot  of  a  high,  mountainous,  barren  and 
rocky  country  on  the  north,  and  has  a  low  and 
sandy  soil  on  the  south.  On  this  southern  side 
is  a  remarkable  point  of  sand,  stretching  far 
into  the  stream,  and  on  which  it  is  customary 
to  baptize  novices.  Above  the  River  Creuse 
are  the  two  carrying-places  of  the  length  of 
half  a  mile  each,  called  the  Portages  des  Deux 
Joachins;  and  at  fifteen  miles  farther,  at  the 
mouth  of  the  River  Du  Moine  is  another  fort, 
or  trading-house,  where  I  found  a  small 
encampment  of  Indians  called  Maskegons,  and 
with  whom  I  bartered  several  articles  for  furs. 
They  anxiously  inquired  whether  or  not  the 
English  were  in  possession  of  the  country 
below,  and  whether  or  not,  if  they  were,  they 
would  allow  traders  to  come  to  that  trading- 
house;  declaring  that  their  families  must  starve 

"  Called  by  the  English  Deep  River. — Author. 
27 


^lexanticr  J^enrp 


unless  they  should  be  able  to  procure  ammuni- 
tion and  other  necessaries.  I  answered  both 
these  questions  in  the  affirmative,  at  which 
they  expressed  much  satisfaction.  Above  the 
Moine  are  several  strong  and  dangerous  rapids, 
reaching  to  the  Portage  du  Roche  Capitaine,  a 
carrying-place  of  three-quarters  of  a  mile  in 
length,  mountainous,  rocky,  and  wooded  only 
with  stunted  pine  trees  and  spruce.  Above 
this  is  the  Portage  des  Deux  Rivieres,  so 
called  from  the  two  small  rivers  by  which  it  is 
intersected;  and  higher  still  are  many  rapids 
and  shoals,  called  by  the  Indians  matawa}^ 
Here  the  river,  called  by  the  French  Petite 
Riviere,  and  by  the  Indians  Matawa  Sipi,^^  falls 
into  the  Outaouais.  We  now  left  the  latter 
of  these  rivers  and  proceeded  to  ascend  the 
Matawa. 

^''Mataouan  (Matawan);  Charlevoix;  Matawoen. — 
Mackenzie 's  Voyages. — Author. 
21  Modern  Matawan  River. — Editor. 


28 


Cl^apter  3 

ARRIVAL  AT  MACKINAC 

OUR  course  in  ascending  the  Outaouais 
had  been  west-northwest;  but  on  enter- 
ing the  Matawa  our  faces  were  turned 
to  the  southwest.  This  latter  river  is  com- 
puted to  be  fourteen  leagues  in  length.  In  the 
widest  parts  it  is  a  hundred  yards  broad,  and 
in  others  not  more  than  fifty.  In  ascending 
it  there  are  fourteen  carrying-places  and  dis- 
charges, of  which  some  are  extremely  difficult. 
Its  banks  are  almost  two  continuous  rocks, 
with  scarcely  earth  enough  for  the  burial  of  a 
dead  body.  I  saw  Indian  graves,  if  graves 
they  might  be  called,  where  the  corpse  was 
laid  upon  the  bare  rock  and  covered  with 
stones.  In  the  side  of  a  hill  on  the  north 
side  of  the  river  there  is  a  curious  cave  con- 
cerning which  marvelous  tales  are  related 
by  the  voyageurs.  Mosquitoes  and  a  minute 
species  of  black  fly  abound  on  this  river, 
the  latter  of  which  are  still  more  trouble- 
some than  the  former.  To  obtain  a  respite 
from  their  vexations  we  were  obliged  at  the 
carrying-places  -to  make  fires  and  stand  in 
the  smoke. 

On  the  twenty-sixth  of  August  we  reached 
the  Portages  a  la  Vase,  three  in  number,  and 

29 


aicraiiDcr  l^mrp 


each  two  miles  in  length.  Their  name^^  ^jg. 
scribes  the  boggy  ground  of  which  they  consist. 
In  passing  one  of  them  we  saw  many  beaver 
houses  and  dams;  and  by  breaking  one  of  the 
dams  we  let  ofif  water  enough  to  float  our 
canoes  down  a  small  stream  which  would  not 
otherwise  have  been  navigable.  These  car- 
r>'ing-places  and  the  intermediate  navigation 
brought  us  at  length  to  the  head  of  a  small 
river  which  falls  into  Lake  Nipisingue.  We 
had  now  passed  the  countr>^  of  which  the 
streams  fall  northeastward  into  the  Outaouais, 
and  entered  that  from  which  they  flow  in  a 
contrary  direction  toward  Lake  Huron.  On 
one  side  of  the  height  of  land,  which  is  the 
reciprocal  boundary  of  these  regions,  we  had 
left  Lake  aux  Tourtres  and  the  River  Matawa; 
and  before  us  on  the  other  was  Lake  Nipi- 
singue. The  banks  of  the  little  river  by  which 
we  descended  into  the  lake,  and  more  especially 
as  we  approached  the  lake,  were  of  an  exceed- 
ingly delightful  appearance,  covered  with  high 
grass  and  affording  an  extensive  prospect. 
Both  the  lake  and  river  abound  in  black  bass, 
sturgeon,  pike,  and  other  fish.  Among  the  pike 
is  to  be  included  the  species  called  by  the 
Indians  masquinongeP   In  two  hours  with  the 

^  Vase  is  the  French  equivalent  of  mud  or  slime. — 
Editor. 

'^  Known  to  sportsmen  of  the  present  day  as  the 
Muskellunge. — Editor. 

30 


Crabcl^  aiiti  ^Dbcnturc^ 

assistance  of  an  Indian  we  took  as  much  fish 
as  all  the  party  could  eat. 

Lake  Nipisingue  is  distant  two  hundred 
leagues  from  Montreal.  Its  circumference  is 
said  to  measure  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles, 
and  its  depth  is  sufficient  for  vessels  of  any 
burden.  On  our  voyage  along  its  eastern  banks 
we  met  some  canoes  of  Indians,  who  said  they 
lived  on  the  northwestern  side.  My  men  in- 
formed me  that  they  were  Nipisingues,  a 
name  which  they  derive  from  the  lake.  Their 
language  is  a  dialect  of  the  Algonquin ;  and  by 
nation  they  are  a  mixture  of  Chippewa  and 
Maskegons.  They  had  a  large  quantity  of  furs, 
part  of  which  I  purchased.  The  animals  which 
the  country  affords  them  are  the  beaver, 
marten,  bear  and  o'tic,  a'tic,  or  caribou,  a 
species  of  deer,  by  some  called  the  reindeer. 
They  wished  for  rum,  but  I  avoided  selling  or 
giving  them  any. 

Leaving  the  Indians,  we  proceeded  to  the 
mouth  of  the  lake  at  which  is  the  carrying- 
place  of  La  Chaudiere  Frangaise,^'*  a  name 
part  of  which  it  has  obtained  from  the  holes 
in  the  rock  over  which  we  passed;  and  which 
holes,  being  of  the  kind  which  is  known  to 
be  formed  by  water  with  the  assistance  of 
pebbles,  demonstrate  that  it  has  not  always 
been  dry  as  at  present  it  is,  but  the  phenom- 
enon is  not  peculiar  to  this  spot,  the  same 
being  observable  at  almost  every  carrying- 

"  Or,  la  Chaudiere  des  Francois. — Author. 
31 


9llcjt:anticr  l^cnrp 


place  on  the  Outaouais.  At  the  height  of  a 
hundred  feet  above  the  river  I  commonly 
found  pebbles  worn  into  a  round  form  Hke 
those  upon  the  beach  below.  Everywhere  the 
water  appears  to  have  subsided  from  its 
ancient  levels;  and  imagination  may  anticipate 
an  era  at  which  even  the  banks  of  Newfound- 
land will  be  left  bare. 

The  southern  shores  of  Lake  Nipisingue  are 
rocky,  and  only  thinly  covered  with  pine  trees 
and  spruce,  both,  as  in  several  instances  al- 
ready mentioned,  of  a  small  stature.  The 
carrying-place  of  La  Chaudiere  Franjaise  is 
at  the  head  of  the  River  des  Frangais,  and 
where  the  water  first  descends  from  the  level 
of  Lake  Nipisingue  toward  that  of  Lake  Huron. 
This  it  does  not  reach  till  it  has  passed  down 
many  rapids,  full  of  danger  to  the  canoes  and 
the  men,  after  which  it  enters  Lake  Huron  by 
several  arms,  flowing  through  each  as  through 
mill-race.  The  River  des  Franyais^"  is  twenty 
leagues  in  length  and  has  many  islands  in  its 
channel.  Its  banks  are  uniformly  of  rock. 
Among  the  carrying-places  at  which  we  suc- 
cessively arrived  are  the  Portage  des  Pins,  or 
du  Pin:  de  la  Grande  Faucille;-^  de  la  Petite 
Faucille;  and  du  Sault  du  Recolet.'^   Near  the 

^*  Modern  French  River. — Editor. 
-^  Faucille,  Fr.  a  sickle. — Author. 

2'  So  called,  perhaps,  on  account  of  the  resemblance 
of  this  Sault  to  that  of  the  Sault  du  Recolet,  between 

32 


CrabdjGf  and  ^Ubenturc^ 

mouth  of  the  river  a  meadow,  called  La  Prairie 
des  Fran^ais,  varies  for  a  short  space  the  rocky 
surface  which  so  generally  prevails;  and  on 
this  spot  we  encamped  and  repaired  our  canoes. 
The  carrying-places  were  now  all  passed,  and 
what  remained  was  to  cross  the  billows  of 
Lake  Huron,  which  lay  stretched  across  our 
horizon  like  an  ocean. 

On  the  thirty-first  day  of  August  we  entered 
the  lake,  the  waves  running  high  from  the 
south,  and  breaking  over  numerous  rocks.  At 
first  I  thought  the  prospect  alarming;  but  the 
canoes  rode  on  the  water  with  the  ease  of  a 
sea-bird,  and  my  apprehensions  ceased.  We 
passed  Point  aux  Grondines,  so  called  from  the 
perpetual  noise  of  the  water  among  the  rocks. 
Many  of  these  rocks  are  sunken  and  not  with- 
out danger  when  the  wind,  as  at  this  time  it 
was,  is  from  the  south. 

We  coasted  along  many  small  islands,  or 
rather  rocks,  of  more  or  less  extent,  either 
wholly  bare  or  very  scantily  covered  with 
scrub  pine  trees.  All  the  land  to  the  northward 
is  of  the  same  description  as  high  as  Cha'ba'- 
Bou'an'ing,  where  verdure  reappears. 

On  the  following  day  we  reached  an  island 
called  La  Cloche,  because  there  is  here  a  rock 
standing  on  a  plain,  which,  being  struck,  rings 
like  a  bell. 

the  islands  of  Montreal  and  Jesus,  and  which  has  its 
name  from  the  death  of  a  Recolet  or  Franciscan  friar, 
who  was  there  drowned. — Author. 

33 


^lex*anticr  l^cnrp 


I  found  the  island  inhabited  by  a  large 
village  of  Indians,  whose  behavior  was  at  first 
full  of  civility  and  kindness.  I  bartered  away 
some  small  articles  among  them  in  exchange 
for  fish  and  dried  meat;  and  we  remained  upon 
friendly  terms  till,  discovering  that  I  was  an 
Englishman,  they  told  my  men  that  the 
Indians  at  Michilimackinac  would  not  fail  to 
kill  me,  and  that  therefore  they  had  a  right  to 
a  share  of  the  pillage.  Upon  this  principle,  as 
they  said,  they  demanded  a  keg  of  rum,  adding 
that  if  not  given  them  they  would  proceed  to 
take  it.  I  judged  it  prudent  to  comply;  on 
condition,  however,  that  I  should  experience  at 
this  place  no  further  molestation. 

The  condition  was  not  unfaithfully  observed; 
but  the  repeated  warnings  which  I  had  now  re- 
ceived of  sure  destruction  at  Michilimackinac 
could  not  but  oppress  my  mind.  I  could  not 
even  yield  myself,  without  danger,  to  the 
course  suggested  by  my  fears;  for  my  provisions 
were  nearly  exhausted  and  to  return  was, 
therefore,  almost  impracticable. 

The  hostility  of  the  Indians  was  exclusively 
against  the  English.  Between  them  and  my 
Canadian  attendants  there  appeared  the  most 
cordial  good-will.  This  circumstance  suggested 
one  means  of  escape,  of  which  by  the  advice 
of  my  friend  Campion  I  resolved  to  attempt 
availing  myself;  and  which  was  that  of  putting 
on  the  dress  usually  worn  by  such  of  the  Cana- 
dians as  pursue  the  trade  into  which  I  had 

34 


entered  and  assimilating  myself  as  much  as  I 
was  able  to  their  appearance  and  manners.  To 
this  end  I  laid  aside  my  English  clothes  and 
covered  myself  only  with  a  cloth  passed  about 
the  middle,  a  shirt  hanging  loose,  a  molton,  or 
blanket  coat,  and  a  large,  red,  milled  worsted 
cap.  The  next  thing  was  to  smear  my  face  and 
hands  with  dirt  and  grease;  and  this  done,  I 
took  the  place  of  one  of  my  men,  and  when 
Indians  approached,  used  the  paddle  with  as 
much  skill  as  I  possessed.  I  had  the  satisfac- 
tion to  find  that  my  disguise  enabled  me  to 
pass  several  canoes  without  attracting  the 
smallest  notice. 

In  this  manner  I  pursued  my  voyage  to  the 
mouth,  or  rather  mouths,  of  the  Missisaki,  a 
river  which  descends  from  the  north,  and  of 
which  the  name  imports  that  it  has  several 
mouths,  or  outlets.  From  this  river  all  the 
Indians  inhabiting  the  north  side  of  Lake 
Huron  are  called  Missisakies.  There  is  here  a 
plentiful  sturgeon  fishery,  by  which  those  that 
resort  to  it  are  fed  during  the  summer  months. 
On  our  voyage  we  met  several  Missisakies  of 
whom  we  bought  fish,  and  from  whose  stock 
we  might  easily  have  filled  all  our  canoes. 

From  the  Missisaki,  which  is  on  the  north 
shore  of  Lake  Huron,  to  Michilimackinac, 
which  is  on  the  south,  is  reckoned  thirty 
leagues.  The  lake,  which  here  approaches 
Lake  Superior,  is  now  contracted  in  its  breadth, 
as  well  as  filled  with  islands.   From  the  mouth 

35 


9lleranticr  i^mtp 


of  the  River  des  Fran^ais  to  the  Missisaki  is 
reckoned  fifty  leagues,  with  many  islands  along 
the  route.  The  lands  everywhere  from  the 
Island  of  La  Cloche  are  poor,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  those  of  the  Island  of  ManitouaUn,  a 
hundred  miles  in  length,^^  where  they  are 
generally  good.  On  all  the  islands  the  Indians 
cultivate  small  quantities  of  maize. 

From  the  Missisaki  we  proceeded  to  the 
O'tossalon^^  and  thence  across  the  lake, 
making  one  island  after  another,  at  intervals 
of  from  two  to  three  leagues.  The  lake,  as  far 
as  it  could  be  seen,  tended  to  the  westward  and 
became  less  and  less  broad. 

The  first  land  which  we  made  on  the  south 
shore  was  that  called  Point  du  Detour,^''  after 

2^  The  Isle  ManitouaUn  was  formerly  so  described. 
It  is  now  known  that  there  is  no  island  in  Lake  Huron 
of  a  hundred  miles  in  length,  and  that  the  ManitouaUn 
are  a  chain  of  islands.  The  French  writers  on  Canada 
speak  of  the  Isle  ManitouaUn  as  inhabited  in  their 
time  by  the  Amikoues  (Amicways,  Amicwac),  whom 
they  called  a  family  (and  sometimes  a  nation) ,  deriving 
its  origin  from  the  Great  Beaver,  a  personage  of  myth- 
ological importance.  The  name  ManitouaUn  implies 
the  residence  of  Manitoes,  or  genii,  a  distinction  very 
commonly  attributed  to  the  islands,  and  sometimes  to 
the  shores,  of  Lakes  Huron  and  Superior,  and  of  which 
further  examples  will  present  themselves  in  the  course 
of  these  pages. — Author. 

2^  Also  written  Tessalon,  Thessalon,  and  des  Tessa- 
Ions. — Author. 

*"  Point  du  Detour,  or  Grand  Detour,  is  the  eastern 
extremity  of  the  Upper  Peninsula  of  Michigan.  Isle 
aux  Outardes  is  modern  Goose  Island. — Editor. 


36 


€rabri^  anti  ^Dbcnturc^ef 

which  we  passed  the  island  called  Isle  aux 
Outardes,  and  then  leaving  on  the  right  the 
deep  bay  of  Boutchitaouy  came  to  the  island 
of  Michilimackinac,  distant  from  Isle  aux 
Outardes  three  leagues.  On  our  way  a  sudden 
squall  reduced  us  to  the  point  of  throwing  over 
the  cargoes  of  our  canoes  to  save  the  latter 
from  filling;  but  the  wind  subsided  and  we 
reached  the  island  in  safety. 

The  land  in  the  center  of  this  island  is  high 
and  its  form  somewhat  resembles  that  of  a 
turtle's  back.  Mackinac,  or  Mickinac,  sig- 
nifies a  turtle,  and  michi  (mishi),  or  missi, 
signifies  great,  as  it  does  also  several,  or  many. 
The  common  interpretation  of  the  word  Michi- 
limackinac is  the  Great  Turtle.  It  is  from  this 
island  that  the  fort,  commonly  known  by  the 
name  of  Michilimackinac,  has  obtained  its 
appellation.^^ 

On  the  island,  as  I  had  been  previously 
taught    to    expect,    there   was   a   village    of 

^1  This  is,  perhaps,  debatable.  It  is  important  for  the 
modern  reader  to  remember  that  the  term  Mackinac 
has  been  applied  at  different  times  to  different  points 
in  the  region  adjoining  the  head  of  Lake  Michigan.  In 
the  time  of  Marquette,  Mackinac  was  on  the  north  side 
of  the  strait,  upon  Point  St.  Ignace.  From  171 2  to  1781 
it  was  on  the  south  side  of  the  strait,  in  the  immediate 
vicinity  of  modern  Mackinaw  City.  In  1781  Governor 
Sinclair  established  his  British  garrison  on  the  island  of 
Mackinac,  where  the  modern  resort  city  stands.  Thus 
the  Mackinac  to  which  Henry  came  in  1761 ,  and  where 
the  massacre  occurred  in  1763,  was  on  the  southern 
mainland  near  modern  Mackinaw  City. — Editor. 

37 


^Icjcanticr  i^ntrp 


Chippewa,  said  to  contain  a  hundred  warriors. 
Here  I  was  fearful  of  discovery  and  consequent 
ill-treatment,  but  after  inquiring  the  news,  and 
particularly  whether  or  not  any  Englishman 
was  coming  to  MichiUmackinac,  they  suffered 
us  to  pass  uninjured.  One  man,  indeed, 
looked  at  me,  laughed,  and  pointed  me  out 
to  another.  This  was  enough  to  give  me 
some  uneasiness;  but  whatever  was  the  sin- 
gularity he  perceived  in  me,  both  he  and  his 
friend  retired  without  suspecting  me  to  be  an 
Englishman. 


38 


RECEPTION  AT  MACKINAC 

1EAVING  as  speedily  as  possible  the 
island  of  Michilimackinac  I  crossed  the 
strait  and  landed  at  the  fort  of  the  same 
name.  The  distance  from  the  island  is  about 
two  leagues.  I  landed  at  four  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon. 

Here  I  put  the  entire  charge  of  my  effects 
into  the  hands  of  my  assistant,  Campion, 
between  whom  and  myself  it  had  been  pre- 
viously agreed  that  he  should  pass  for  the 
proprietor;  and  my  men  were  instructed  to 
conceal  the  fact  that  I  was  an  Enghshman. 

Campion  soon  found  a  house  to  which  I 
retired,  and  where  I  hoped  to  remain  in  privacy; 
but  the  men  soon  betrayed  my  secret,  and 
I  was  visited  by  the  inhabitants  with  great 
show  of  civiUty.  They  assured  me  that  I 
could  not  stay  at  Michilimackinac  without  the 
most  imminent  risk;  and  strongly  recommended 
that  I  should  lose  no  time  in  making  my  escape 
to  Detroit. 

Though  language  Uke  this  could  not  but 
increase  my  uneasiness  it  did  not  shake  my 
determination  to  remain  with  my  property  and 
encounter  the  evils  with  which  I  was  threatened ; 
and  my  spirits  were  in  some  measure  sustained 

39 


^icranticr  l^cnrp 


by  the  sentiments  of  Campion  in  this  regard; 
for  he  declared  his  belief  that  the  Canadian 
inhabitants  of  the  fort  were  more  hostile  than 
the  Indians  as  being  jealous  of  Enghsh  traders, 
who  Uke  myself  were  penetrating  into  the 
country. 

Fort  Michilimackinac  was  built  by  order  of 
the  governor-general  of  Canada,  and  garrisoned 
with  a  small  number  of  militia,  who,  having 
families,  soon  became  less  soldiers  than  set- 
tlers. Most  of  those  whom  I  found  in  the  fort 
had  originally  served  in  the  French  army. 

The  fort  stands  on  the  south  side  of  the 
strait  which  is  between  Lake  Huron  and  Lake 
Michigan.  It  has  an  area  of  two  acres,  and 
is  enclosed  with  pickets  of  cedar  wood;^^  and 
it  is  so  near  the  water's  edge  that  when  the 
wind  is  in  the  west  the  waves  break  against  the 
stockade.  On  the  bastions  are  two  small 
pieces  of  brass  EngUsh  cannon  taken  some 
years  since  by  a  party  of  Canadians  who  went 
on  a  plundering  expedition  against  the  posts  of 
Hudson's  Bay,  which  they  reached  by  the 
route  of  the  River  Churchill. 

Within  the  stockade  are  thirty  houses,  neat 
in  their  appearance,  and  tolerably  commodious; 
and  a  church  in  which  mass  is  celebrated  by 
a  Jesuit  missionary.  The  number  of  families 
may  be  nearly  equal  to  that  of  the  houses; 
and  their  subsistence  is  derived  from  the  Indian 
traders  who  assemble  here  in  their  voyages  to 

'-  Thuya  occidenlalis. — Author. 
40 


€rabd^  anti  ^tibcnturc^ 

and  from  Montreal.  Michilimackinac  is  the 
place  of  deposit  and  point  of  departure  be- 
tween the  upper  countries  and  the  lower.  Here 
the  outfits  are  prepared  for  the  countries  of 
Lake  Michigan  and  the  Mississippi,  Lake 
Superior,  and  the  Northwest;  and  here  the 
returns  in  furs  are  collected  and  embarked  for 
Montreal. 

I  was  not  released  from  the  visits  and  ad- 
monitions of  the  inhabitants  of  the  fort  before 
I  received  the  equivocal  intelligence  that  the 
whole  band  of  Chipewa  from  the  island  of 
Michihmackinac  was  arrived  with  the  inten- 
tion of  paying  me  a  visit. 

There  was  in  the  fort  one  Farley,  an  inter- 
preter, lately  in  the  employ  of  the  French 
commandant.  He  had  married  a  Chipewa 
woman  and  was  said  to  possess  great  influence 
over  the  nation  to  which  his  wife  belonged. 
Doubtful  as  to  the  kind  of  visit  which  I  was 
about  to  receive  I  sent  for  this  interpreter  and 
requested  first  that  he  would  have  the  kindness 
to  be  present  at  the  interview,  and  secondly 
that  he  would  inform  me  of  the  intentions  of 
the  band.  M.  Farley  agreed  to  be  present;  and 
as  to  the  object  of  the  visit,  repUed  that  it  was 
consistent  with  uniform  custom  that  a  stranger 
on  his  arrival  should  be  waited  upon  and  wel- 
comed by  the  chiefs  of  the  nation,  who  on  their 
part  always  gave  a  small  present,  and  always  ex- 
pected a  large  one;  but  as  to  the  rest,  declared 
himself  unable  to  answer  for  the  particular 

41 


^iexantier  ^cnrp 


views  of  the  Chipewa  on  this  occasion,  I 
being  an  Englishman,  and  the  Indians  having 
made  no  treaty  with  the  EngUsh.  He  thought 
that  there  might  be  danger,  the  Indians  having 
protested  that  they  would  not  suflfer  an 
Englishman  to  remain  in  their  part  of  the 
country.  This  information  was  far  from  agree- 
able; but  there  was  no  resource,  except  in 
fortitude  and  patience. 

At  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  the  Chip- 
pewa came  to  my  house,  about  sixty  in  num- 
ber, and  headed  by  Minavavana,  their  chief. 
They  walked  in  single  file,  each  with  his  toma- 
hawk in  one  hand  and  scalping  knife  in  the 
other.  Their  bodies  were  naked  from  the  waist 
upward,  except  in  a  few  examples  where 
blankets  were  thrown  loosely  over  the  shoul- 
ders. Their  faces  were  painted  with  charcoal, 
worked  up  with  grease;  their  bodies  with 
white  clay  in  patterns  of  various  fancies. 
Some  had  feathers  thrust  through  their  noses, 
and  their  heads  decorated  with  the  same.  It 
is  unnecessary  to  dwell  on  the  sensations  with 
which  I  beheld  the  approach  of  this  uncouth, 
if  not  frightful  assemblage. 

The  chief  entered  first,  and  the  rest  followed 
without  noise.  On  receiving  a  sign  from  the 
former,  the  latter  seated  themselves  on  the  floor. 

Minavavana  ^^  appeared  to  be  about  fifty 
years  of  age.    He  was  six  feet  in  height,  and 

"  This  chief,  who  figures  so  prominently  in  Henry's 
story,  has  commonly  been  identified  by  historians  as 

42 


had  in  his  countenance  an  indescribable  mix- 
ture of  good  and  evil.  Looking  steadfastly  at 
me  where  I  sat  in  ceremony,  with  an  interpreter 
on  either  hand,  and  several  Canadians  behind 
me,  he  entered  at  the  same  time  into  conver- 
sation with  Campion,  inquiring  how  long  it  was 
since  I  left  Montreal,  and  observing  that  the 
English,  as  it  would  seem,  were  brave  men  and 
not  afraid  of  death,  since  they  dared  to  come 
as  I  had  done  fearlessly  among  their  enemies. 

The  Indians  now  gravely  smoked  their 
pipes,  while  I  inwardly  endured  the  tortures  of 
suspense.  At  length  the  pipes  being  finished,  as 
well  as  the  long  pause  by  which  they  were 
succeeded,  Minavavana,  taking  a  few  strings 
of  wampum  in  his  hand,  began  the  following 
speech : 

"Englishman,  it  is  to  you  that  I  speak,  and 
I  demand  your  attention! 

"Englishman,  you  know  that  the  French  king 
is  our  father.  He  promised  to  be  such;  and  we 
in  return  promised  to  be  his  children.  This 
promise  we  have  kept. 

"Englishman,  it  is  you  that  have  made  war 
with  this  our  father.  You  are  his  enemy;  and 
how  then  could  you  have  the  boldness  to 
venture  among  us,  his  children?  You  know 
that  his  enemies  are  ours. 

"EngHshman,  we  are  informed  that  our  father, 
the  King  of  France,  is  old  and  infirm;  and  that 
the  Grand  Sauteur,  an  encounter  with  whom  in  1767 
is  described  by  Jonathan  Carver. — Editor. 

43 


^kjcantier  ^cnrp 


being  fatigued  with  making  war  upon  your 
nation,  he  is  fallen  asleep.  During  his  sleep 
you  have  taken  advantage  of  him  and  possessed 
yourselves  of  Canada.  But  his  nap  is  almost  at 
an  end.  I  think  I  hear  him  already  stirring 
and  inquiring  for  his  children,  the  Indians;  and 
when  he  does  awake,  what  must  become  of  you? 
He  will  destroy  you  utterly! 

"Englishman,  although  you  have  conquered 
the  French,  you  have  not  yet  conquered  us! 
We  are  not  your  slaves.  These  lakes,  these 
woods  and  mountains  were  left  to  us  by  our 
ancestors.  They  are  our  inheritance;  and  we 
will  part  with  them  to  none.  Your  nation 
supposes  that  we,  Uke  the  white  people,  cannot 
live  without  bread — and  pork — and  beef!  But 
you  ought  to  know  that  He,  the  Great  Spirit 
and  Master  of  Life,  has  provided  food  for  us 
in  these  spacious  lakes  and  on  these  woody 
mountains. 

"Englishman,  our  father,  the  King  of  France, 
employed  our  young  men  to  make  war  upon 
your  nation.  In  this  warfare  many  of  them 
have  been  killed,  and  it  is  our  custom  to  retal- 
iate until  such  time  as  the  spirits  of  the  slain 
are  satisfied.  But  the  spirits  of  the  slain  are 
to  be  satisfied  in  either  of  two  ways;  the  first 
is  by  the  spilling  of  the  blood  of  the  nation  by 
which  they  fell;  the  other  by  covering  the 
bodies  of  the  dead,  and  thus  allaying  the  resent- 
ment of  their  relations.  This  is  done  by  making 
presents. 

44 


"Englishman,  your  king  has  never  sent  us  any 
presents,  nor  entered  into  any  treaty  with  us, 
wherefore  he  and  we  are  still  at  war;  and  until 
he  does  these  things  we  must  consider  that 
we  have  no  other  father,  nor  friend  among  the 
white  men  than  the  King  of  France;  but  for 
you  we  have  taken  into  consideration  that  you 
have  ventured  your  life  among  us  in  the  ex- 
pectation that  we  should  not  molest  you.  You 
do  not  come  armed  with  an  intention  to  make 
war;  you  come  in  peace  to  trade  with  us  and 
supply  us  with  necessaries  of  which  we  are  in 
much  want.  We  shall  regard  you,  therefore,  as 
a  brother;  and  you  may  sleep  tranquilly, 
withdut  fear  of  the  Chipewa.  As  a  token 
of  our  friendship  we  present  you  with  this  pipe 
to  smoke. " 

As  Minavavana  uttered  these  words  an 
Indian  presented  me  with  a  pipe,  which,  after 
I  had  drawn  the  smoke  three  times,  was  carried 
•  to  the  chief,  and  after  him  to  every  person  in 
the  room.  This  ceremony  ended,  the  chief 
arose  and  gave  me  his  hand  in  which  he  was 
followed  by  all  the  rest. 

Being  again  seated,  Minavavana  requested 
that  his  young  men  might  be  allowed  to  taste 
what  he  called  my  English  milk  (meaning 
rum) — observing  that  it  was  long  since  they 
had  tasted  any,  and  that  they  were  very  de- 
sirous to  know  whether  or  not  there  were  any 
difference  between  the  English  milk  and  the 
French. 

45 


^kjcantier  l^cnrp 


My  adventure  on  leaving  Fort  William 
Augustus  had  left  an  impression  on  my  mind 
which  made  me  tremble  when  Indians  asked 
for  rum;  and  I  would  therefore  willingly  have 
excused  myself  in  this  particular;  but  being 
informed  that  it  was  customary  to  comply 
with  the  request,  and  withal  satisfied  with  the 
friendly  declarations  which  I  had  received,  I 
promised  to  give  them  a  small  cask  at  parting. 

After  this,  by  the  aid  of  my  interpreter  I 
made  a  reply  to  the  speech  of  Minavavana, 
declaring  that  it  was  the  good  character  which 
I  had  heard  of  the  Indians  that  had  alone 
emboldened  me  to  come  among  them ;  that  their 
late  father,  the  King  of  France,  had  surrendered 
Canada  to  the  King  of  England,  whom  they 
ought  now  to  regard  as  their  father,  and  who 
would  be  as  careful  of  them  as  the  other  had 
been;  that  I  had  come  to  furnish  them  with 
necessaries,  and  that  their  good  treatment  of 
me  would  be  an  encouragement  to  others. 
They  appeared  satisfied  with  what  I  said, 
repeating  eh!  (an  expression  of  approbation) 
after  hearing  each  particular.  I  had  prepared 
a  present  which  I  now  gave  them  with  the  ut- 
most good  will.  At  their  departure  I  distributed 
a  small  quantity  of  rum. 

Reheved  as  I  now  imagined  myself  from  all 
occasion  of  anxiety  as  to  the  treatment  which 
I  was  to  experience  from  the  Indians,  I  as- 
sorted my  goods,  and  hired  Canadian  inter- 
preters and  clerks,  in  whose  care  I  was  to  send 
46 


Crabfi^  anil  ^Dbenturc^ 

them  into  Lake  Michigan  and  the  River 
St.  Pierre,  in  the  country  of  the  Nadowessies;  ^^ 
into  Lake  Superior  among  the  Chipewa,  and 
to  the  Grand  Portage  for  the  Northwest. 
Everything  was  ready  for  their  departure 
when  new  dangers  sprung  up  and  threatened 
to  overwhelm  me. 

At  the  entrance  of  Lake  Michigan  and  at 
about  twenty  miles  to  the  west  of  Fort  Michi- 
limackinac  is  the  village  of  L'Arbre  Croche, 
inhabited  by  a  band  of  Ottawa  boasting  of  two 
hundred  and  fifty  fighting  men.  L'Arbre 
Croche  is  the  seat  of  the  Jesuit  mission  of  St. 
Ignace  de  MichiHmackinac,  and  the  people  are 
partly  baptized,  and  partly  not.^^  The  mis- 
sionary resides  on  a  farm  attached  to  the 
mission  and  situated  between  the  village  and 
the  fort,  both  of  which  are  under  his  care. 
The  Ottawa  of  L'Arbre  Croche,  who  when 
compared  with  the  Chipewa  appear  to  be  a 
much  advanced  in  civilization,  grow  maize 
for  the  market  of  Michilimackinac,  where  this 

"The  "Nadowessies"  are  the  Dakota  or  Sioux 
Indians.  The  "St.  Pierre"  is  the  modern  Minnesota 
River,  which  empties  into  the  Mississippi  between  St. 
Paul  and  Minneapolis. — Editor. 

"L'Arbre  Croche,  on  the  north  shore  of  Little  Tra- 
verse Bay  near  modern  Harbor  Springs,  was  founded  as 
a  mission  village  in  1742,  and  has  ever  since  remained 
a  center  for  Catholic  mission  Indians.  It  is  more  nearly 
south  than  west  of  old  Mackinaw,  and  the  distance  by 
water  is  about  forty  miles. — Editor. 

47 


^LlcxanDcr  l^cnrp 


commodity  is  depended  upon  for  provisioning 
the  canoes. 

The  new  dangers  which  presented  themselves 
came  from  this  village  of  Ottawa.  Everything 
as  I  have  said  was  in  readiness  for  the  de- 
parture of  my  goods  when  accounts  arrived  of 
its  approach;  and  shortly  after,  two  hundred 
warriors  entered  the  fort  and  billeted  them- 
selves in  the  several  houses  among  the  Cana- 
dian inhabitants.  The  next  morning  they 
assembled  in  the  house  which  was  built  for  the 
commandant,  or  governor,  and  ordered  the 
attendance  of  myself  and  of  two  other  mer- 
chants still  later  from  Montreal,  namely 
Messrs.  Stanley  Goddard  and  Ezekiel  Solo- 
mons.^® 

After  our  entering  the  council  room  and 
taking  our  seats  one  of  the  chiefs  commenced 
an  address : 

"Englishmen,"  he  said,  "we,  the  Ottawas 
were  some  time  since  informed  of  your  arrival 

'^  These  men  were,  with  Henry,  among  the  earliest 
British  traders  to  reach  the  upper  country.  James 
Stanley  Goddard  accompanied  Lieutenant  Gorrell  to 
Green  Bay,  being  driven  from  here  by  the  uprising  of 
1763.  Upon  the  restoration  of  British  authority  he  re- 
turned to  the  Northwest,  where  he  was  for  many  years 
a  prominent  merchant.  About  the  year  1 777  he  became 
government  storekeeper  at  Montreal,  and  this  position 
he  continued  to  hold  as  late  as  1795.  Ezekiel  Solomon, 
like  Goddard,  was  driven  out  of  the  upper  country  in 
1763  but  later  he  returned,  and  in  1778  we  find  him 
preparing  a  trading  outfit  to  winter  on  the  north  shore 
of  Lake  Superior. — Editor. 

4S 


€rabcl^  anti  ^tibcnturc^ 

in  this  country,  and  of  your  having  brought 
with  you  the  goods  of  which  we  have  need.  At 
this  news  we  were  greatly  pleased,  beHeving 
that  through  your  assistance  our  wives  and 
children  would  be  enabled  to  pass  another 
winter;  but  what  was  our  surprise,  when  a  few 
days  ago  we  were  again  informed  that  the 
goods  which  as  we  had  expected  were  intended 
for  us  were  on  the  eve  of  departure  for  distant 
countries,  of  which  some  are  inhabited  by  our 
enemies!  These  accounts  being  spread,  our 
wives  and  children  came  to  us  crying  and 
desiring  that  we  should  go  to  the  fort  to  learn 
with  our  own  ears  their  truth  or  falsehood. 
We  accordingly  embarked  almost  naked  as 
you  see;  and  on  our  arrival  here  we  have 
inquired  into  the  accounts  and  found  them 
true.  We  see  your  canoes  ready  to  depart  and 
find  your  men  engaged  for  the  Mississippi 
and  other  distant  regions. 

"Under  these  circumstances  we  have  con- 
sidered the  affair;  and  you  are  now  sent  for 
that  you  may  hear  our  determination,  which 
is  that  you  shall  give  to  each  of  our  men,  young 
and  old,  merchandise  and  ammunition  to  the 
amount  of  fifty  beaver  skins  on  credit,  and  for 
which  I  have  no  doubt  of  their  paying  you 
in  the  summer,  on  their  return  from  their 
wintering. " 

A  compHance  with  this  demand  would  have 
stripped  me  and  my  fellow  merchants  of  all  our 
merchandise;  and  what  rendered  the  affair  still 
49 


^IcjcanDer  l^enrp 


more  serious,  we  even  learned  that  these 
Ottawa  were  accustomed  never  to  pay  for 
what  they  received  on  credit.  In  reply,  there- 
fore, to  the  speech  which  we  had  heard,  we 
requested  that  the  demand  contained  in  it 
might  be  diminished;  but  we  were  answered 
that  the  Ottawa  had  nothing  further  to  say 
except  that  they  would  allow  till  the  next  day 
for  reflection;  after  which,  if  compUance  was 
not  given,  they  would  make  no  further  appU- 
cation,  but  take  into  their  owti  hands  the  prop, 
erty  which  they  already  regarded  as  their  own- 
as  having  been  brought  into  their  country  be- 
fore the  conclusion  of  any  peace  between  them- 
selves and  the  EngHsh. 

We  now  returned  to  consider  of  our  situa- 
tion; and  in  the  evening  Farley,  the  interpreter, 
paid  us  a  visit,  and  assured  us  that  it  was  the 
intention  of  the  Ottawa  to  put  us  that  night 
to  death.  He  advised  us,  as  our  only  means  of 
safety,  to  comply  with  the  demands  which  had 
been  made;  but  we  suspected  our  informant  of 
a  disposition  to  prey  upon  our  fears  with  a  view 
to  induce  us  to  abandon  the  Indian  trade,  and 
resolved  however  this  might  be,  rather  to 
stand  on  the  defensive  than  submit.  We 
trusted  to  the  house  in  which  I  Hved  as  a  fort, 
and  armed  ourselves  and  about  thirty  of  our 
men  with  muskets.  WTiether  or  not  the  Otta- 
wa ever  intended  violence  we  never  had  an 
opportunity  of  knowing;  but  the  night  passed 
quietly. 

so 


€rabd[|tf  anti  ^tibcnture^ 

Early  the  next  morning  a  second  council  was 
held,  and  the  merchants  were  again  summoned 
to  attend.  Believing  that  every  hope  of  re- 
sistance would  be  lost,  should  we  commit  our 
persons  into  the  hands  of  our  enemies,  we  sent 
only  a  refusal.  There  was  none  without  in 
whom  we  had  any  confidence,  except  Campion. 
From  him  we  learned  from  time  to  time  what- 
ever was  rumored  among  the  Canadian  inhabi- 
tants as  to  the  designs  of  the  Ottawa;  and 
from  him  toward  sunset  we  received  the  gratify- 
ing intelUgence  that  a  detachment  of  British 
soldiery,  sent  to  garrison  Michihmackinac,  was 
distant  only  five  miles  and  would  enter  the 
fort  early  the  next  morning. 

Near  at  hand,  however,  as  relief  was  reported 
to  be,  our  anxiety  could  not  but  be  great;  for 
a  long  night  was  to  be  passed,  and  our  fate 
might  be  decided  before  the  morning.  To 
increase  our  apprehensions,  about  midnight  we 
were  informed  that  the  Ottawa  were  holding 
a  council,  at  which  no  white  man  was  per- 
mitted to  be  present,  Farley  alone  excepted; 
and  him  we  suspected,  and  afterward  positively 
knew,  to  be  our  greatest  enemy.  We,  on  our 
part,  remained  all  night  upon  the  alert;  but 
at  daybreak  to  our  surprise  and  joy  we  saw  the 
Ottawa  preparing  to  depart.  By  sunrise  not 
a  man  of  them  was  left  in  the  fort;  and  indeed 
the  scene  was  altogether  changed.  The  inhabi- 
tants, who,  while  the  Ottawa  were  present, 
had  avoided  all  connection  with  the  EngUsh 
SI 


^Icjcantier  l^cnrp 


traders,  now  came  with  congratulations.  They 
related  that  the  Ottawa  had  proposed  to 
them  that  if  joined  by  the  Canadians  they 
would  march  and  attack  the  troops  which  were 
known  to  be  advancing  on  the  fort;  and  they 
added  that  it  was  their  refusal  which  had 
determined  the  Ottawa  to  depart. 

At  noon  three  hundred  troops  of  the  Sixtieth 
Regiment,  under  the  command  of  Lieutenant 
Lesslie,  marched  into  the  fort;  and  this  arrival 
dissipated  all  our  fears  from  whatever  source 
derived.^^  After  a  few  days  detachments  were 
sent  into  the  Bay  des  Puants  ^^  by  which  is  the 
route  to  the  Mississippi  and  at  the  mouth  of 

"  The  last  French  commander  of  Mackinac — Beau- 
jeau  de  Villemonde,  brother  of  him  who  fell  gloriously 
while  leading  his  men  against  Braddock's  doomed  army 
in  1755  ^-  abandoned  the  post  in  the  autumn  of  1760, 
and  retired  by  way  of  Wisconsin  to  the  Illinois  country. 
Not  until  September  28,  1 761 ,  did  a  British  detachment 
arrive  to  take  possession  of  Mackinac.  The  leader  of 
the  English  force  was  Captain  Henry  Balfour  of  the 
Eightieth  Regiment,  better  known,  perhaps,  as  Gage's 
Light  Infantry.  With  Balfour,  however,  was  Lieu- 
tenant William  Leslie  of  the  Sixtieth  Regiment — the 
Royal  Americans — who  was  left  at  Mackinac  with  a 
garrison  of  twenty-eight  men,  while  Balfour  with  the 
remainder  of  his  force  went  on  to  take  possession  of  the 
remaining  French  posts  in  the  Upper  Country.  The 
following  year  Leslie  asked  to  be  "relieved  from  this 
disagreeable  station,"  but  instead  the  post  was  rein- 
forced by  Captain  George  Etherington,  Leslie  remain- 
ing as  second  in  command. — Editor. 

'*  Modern  Green  Bay:  the  post  was  on  the  site  of  the 
modern  city  of  that  name. — Editor. 

52 


€rai)fl^  anti  ^Dbniturcjef 

the  St.  Joseph  ^^  which  leads  to  the  lUinois. 
The  Indians  from  all  quarters  came  to  pay 
their  respects  to  the  commandant;  and  the 
merchants  dispatched  their  canoes,  though 
it  was  now  the  middle  of  September,  and 
therefore  somewhat  late  in  the  season. 

"  Fort  St.  Joseph  stood  in  the  outskirts  of  modern 
Niles,  Michigan,  some  thirty  miles  inland  from  the 
mouth  of  the  river.  The  old  fort  site  is  now  covered  by 
water,  due  to  the  building  in  recent  years  of  a  dam 
across  the  river  at  Niles  for  purposes  of  power  develop- 
ment.— Editor. 


53 


Cl^apter  5 

THE  WINTER  AT  MACKINAC 

THE  village  of  L  'Arbre  Croche  supplies,  as 
I  have  said,  the  maize,  or  Indian  corn, 
with  which  the  canoes  are  victualled.  This 
species  of  grain  is  prepared  for  use  by  boiling 
it  in  a  strong  lye,  after  which  the  husk  may  be 
easily  removed;  and  it  is  next  mashed  and 
dried.  In  this  state  it  is  soft  and  friable  like 
rice.  The  allowance  for  each  man  on  the 
voyage  is  a  quart  a  day;  and  a  bushel  with  two 
pounds  of  prepared  fat  is  reckoned  to  be  a 
month's  subsistence.  No  other  allowance  is 
made  of  any  kind,  not  even  of  salt;  and  bread 
is  never  thought  of.  The  men,  nevertheless, 
are  healthy  and  capable  of  performing  their 
heavy  labor.  This  mode  of  victualling  is 
essential  to  the  trade,  which  being  pursued  at 
great  distances,  and  in  vessels  so  small  as 
canoes,  will  not  admit  of  the  use  of  other  food. 
If  the  men  were  to  be  supplied  with  bread 
and  pork  the  canoes  could  not  carry  a  suffi- 
ciency for  six  months;  and  the  ordinary 
duration  of  the  voyage  is  not  less  than  four- 
teen. The  difficulty  which  would  belong  to  an 
attempt  to  reconcile  any  other  men  than  Cana- 
dians to  this  fare  seems  to  secure  to  them  and 
their  employers  the  monopoly  of  the  fur  trade. 

54 


The  sociable  disposition  of  the  commandant 
enabled  us  to  pass  the  winter  at  Michili- 
mackinac  in  a  manner  as  agreeable  as  cir- 
cumstances would  permit.  The  amusements 
consisted  chiefly  in  shooting,  hunting,  and 
fishing.  The  neighboring  woods  abounded  in 
partridges'*''  and  hares,  the  latter  of  which 
is  white  in  winter;  and  the  lake  is  filled  with 
fish,  of  which  the  most  celebrated  are  trout, 
whitefish,  and  sturgeon. 

Trout  are  taken  by  making  holes  in  the  ice 
in  which  are  set  fines  and  baits.  These  are 
often  left  for  many  days  together,  and  in  some 
places  at  the  depth  of  fifty  fathoms;  for  the 
trout  having  swallowed  the  bait,  remains  fast 
and  alive  till  taken  up.  This  fish,  which  is 
found  of  the  weight  of  from  ten  to  sixty  pounds 
and  upward,  constitutes  the  principal  food 
of  the  inhabitants.  When  this  fails  they  have 
recourse  to  maize,  but  this  is  very  expensive. 
I  bought  more  than  a  hundred  bushels  at  forty 
livres  per  bushel.  Money  is  rarely  received 
or  paid  at  MichiHmackinac,  the  circulating 
medium  consisting  in  furs  and  peltries.  In 
this  exchange  a  pound  of  beaver  skin  is 
reckoned  at  sixty  sols,  an  otter  skin  at  six 
livres,  and  marten  skins  at  thirty  sols  each.^^ 

*°  In  North  America  there  is  no  partridge;  but  the 
name  is  given  to  more  than  one  species  of  grouse.  The 
birds  here  intended  are  red  grouse. — Author. 

*i  After  the  English  conquest  of  Canada  the  value  of 
the  livre  was  fixed  at  one  shilling  Canadian  currency. 

55 


^llejcanticr  i^enrp 


This  is  only  one-half  of  the  real  value  of  the 
furs;  and  it  is  therefore  always  agreed  to  pay 
either  in  furs  at  their  actual  price  at  the  fort, 
or  in  cash  to  double  the  amount,  as  reckoned 
in  furs. 

At  the  same  time  that  I  paid  the  price  which 
I  have  mentioned  for  maize  I  paid  at  the  rate 
of  a  dollar  per  pound  for  the  tallow,  or  pre- 
pared fat  to  mix  with  it.  The  meat  itself  was 
at  the  same  price.  The  Jesuit  missionary 
killed  an  ox  which  he  sold  by  the  quarter, 
taking  the  weight  of  the  meat  in  beaver  skin. 
Beaver  skin  as  just  intimated,  was  worth  a 
dollar  per  pound. 

These  high  prices  of  grain  and  beef  led  me 
to  be  very  industrious  in  fishing.  I  usually  set 
twenty  lines  and  visited  them  daily,  and 
often  found  at  every  visit  fish  enough  to  feed 
a  hundred  men.  Whitefish,  which  exceed 
the  trout  as  a  delicious  and  nutritive  food,  are 
here  in  astonishing  numbers.  In  shape  they 
somewhat  resemble  the  shad,  but  their  flavor 
is  perhaps  above  all  comparison  whatever. 
Those  who  Hve  on  them  for  months  together 
preserve  their  reUsh  to  the  end.  This  cannot 
be  said  of  the  trout. 

The  whitefish  is  taken  in  nets  which  are  set 
under  the  ice.  To  do  this  several  holes  are 
made  in  the  ice,  each  at  such  distance  from 
that  behind  it  as  that  it  may  be  reached  under 

Twenty-five  sols  were  equal  to  one  shilling  one  penny 
sterling. — Editor. 

S6 


the  ice  by  the  end  of  a  pole.  A  line  of  sixty 
fathoms  in  length  is  thus  conveyed  from  hole 
to  hole  till  it  is  extended  to  the  length  desired. 
This  done,  the  pole  is  taken  out,  and  with  it 
one  end  of  the  line,  to  which  the  end  is  then 
fastened.  The  hne  being  now  drawn  back  by 
an  assistant  who  holds  the  opposite  extremity, 
the  net  is  brought  under  and  a  large  stone  is 
made  fast  to  the  sinking  line  at  each  end  and 
let  down  to  the  bottom;  and  the  net  is  spread 
in  the  water  by  Hghters  on  its  upper  edge, 
sinkers  on  its  lower,  in  the  usual  manner.  The 
fish,  running  against  the  net,  entangle  their 
gills  in  the  meshes  and  are  thus  detained  till 
taken  up.  Whitefish  is  used  as  a  bait  for  trout. 
They  are  much  smaller  than  the  trout,  but 
usually  weigh,  at  Michilimackinac,  from  three 
to  seven  pounds. 

During  the  whole  winter  very  few  Indians 
visited  the  fort;  but  two  famihes,  one  of  which 
was  that  of  a  chief,  had  their  lodges  on  a  river 
five  leagues  below  us,  and  occasionally  brought 
beaver  flesh  for  sale. 

The  chief  was  warmly  attached  to  the  Eng- 
lish. He  had  been  taken  prisoner  by  Sir 
WilUam  Johnson  at  the  siege  of  Fort  Niagara, 
and  had  received  from  that  intelHgent  officer 
his  liberty,  the  medal  usually  presented  to  a 
chief,  and  the  British  flag.  Won  by  these 
unexpected  acts  of  kindness,  he  had  returned  to 
MicMUmackinac  full  of  praises  of  the  English, 
and  hoisting  his  flag  over  his  lodge.  This 
57 


^Icjtrantier  IJcnrp 


latter  demonstration  of  his  partiality  had 
nearly  cost  him  his  life;  his  lodge  was  broken 
down  and  his  flag  torn  to  pieces.  The  pieces 
he  carefully  gathered  up  and  preserved  with 
pious  care;  and  whenever  he  came  to  the  fort 
he  drew  them  forth  and  exhibited  them.  On 
these  occasions  it  grew  into  a  custom  to  give 
him  as  much  liquor  as  he  said  was  necessary 
to  make  him  cry  over  the  misfortune  of  losing 
his  flag.  The  commandant  would  have  given 
him  another,  but  he  thought  that  he  could  not 
accept  it  -R-ithout  danger. 

The  greatest  depth  of  snow  throughout  the 
season  was  three  feet.  On  the  second  day  of 
April  the  ice  on  the  lake  broke  up  and  the 
navigation  was  resumed;  and  we  immediately 
began  to  receive  from  the  Indians  around  us 
large  suppUes  of  wild  fowl. 


S8 


Ci^apter  6 

A  VISIT  TO  SAULT  STE.  MARIE 

BEING  desirous  of  visiting  the  Sault  de 
Ste.  Marie  I  left  Michilimackinac  on  the 
fifteenth  of  May  in  a  canoe.  The  Sault 
de  Ste.  Marie  is  distant  from  Michilimack- 
inac thirty  leagues  and  lies  in  the  strait  which 
separates  Lake  Huron  from  Lake  Superior. 

Having  passed  Le  Detour,  a  point  of  land  at 
the  entrance  of  the  strait,  our  course  lay  among 
numerous  islands,  some  of  which  are  twenty 
miles  in  length.  We  ascended  the  rapid  of 
Miscoutinsaki,  a  spot  well  adapted  for  mill 
seats,  and  above  which  is  the  mouth  of  the 
river  of  the  same  name.  The  lands  on  the  south 
shore  of  this  river  are  excellent.  The  lake  is 
bordered  by  meadows,  and  at  a  short  distance 
back  are  groves  of  sugar  maple.  From  this 
river  to  the  Sault  de  Ste.  Marie  is  one  con- 
tinued meadow. 

On  the  nineteenth  I  reached  the  Sault.  Here 
was  a  stockaded  fort  in  which  under  the  French 
government  there  was  kept  a  small  garrison, 
commanded  by  an  officer  who  was  called  the 
governor,  but  was  in  fact  a  clerk  who  managed 
the  Indian  trade  here  on  government  account. 
The  houses  were  four  in  number,  of  which 
the  first  was  the  governor's,  the  second  the 

59 


^lejcanlier  l^ntrp 


interpreter's,  and  the  other  two,  which  were 
the  smallest,  had  been  used  for  barracks.  The 
only  family  was  that  of  M.  Cadotte,  the  inter- 
preter,^ whose  wife  was  a  Chipewa. 

The  fort  is  seated  on  a  beautiful  plain  of 
about  two  miles  in  circumference,  and  covered 
with  luxuriant  grass;  and  wdthin  sight  are 
the  rapids  in  the  strait,  distant  half  a  mile. 
The  width  of  the  strait,  or  river,  is  about 
half  a  mile.  The  portage,  or  carrying-place, 
commences  at  the  fort.  The  banks  are  rocky, 
and  allow  only  a  narrow  footpath  over  them. 
Canoes,  half  loaded,  ascend  on  the  south  side 
and  the  other  half  of  the  load  is  carried  on 
men's  shoulders. 

These  rapids  are  beset  with  rocks  of  the  most 
dangerous  description;  and  yet  they  are  the 
scene  of  a  fishery  in  which  all  their  dangers  are 
braved  and  mastered  with  singular  expertness. 
They  are  full  of  whitefish  much  larger  and  more 
excellent  than  those  of  Michilimackinac,  and 

*^  This  was  Jean  Baptiste  Cadotte,  Sr.,  who  came  into 
the  Northwest  toward  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth 
century.  In  accordance  with  the  custom  of  his  time  he 
lived  with  a  Chippewa  woman,  and  in  1756  the  couple 
were  legally  married  by  the  Jesuit  father  at  jMackinac. 
Cadotte  made  Sault  Ste.  Marie  his  headquarters,  and 
from  here  pursued  the  Indian  trade  in  the  Lake  Su- 
perior region  until  in  1796,  induced  by  the  advance  of 
old  age,  he  made  over  his  property  to  his  two  sons,  Jean 
Baptiste  and  Michel.  Both  of  these  men  married  Chip- 
pewa women,  and  both  became  prominent  in  the  trad- 
ing annals  of  the  Northwest.  The  elder  Cadotte  died 
in  1803. — Editor. 

60 


which  are  found  here  during  the  greater  part 
of  the  season,  weighing  in  general  from  six 
pounds  to  fifteen. 

The  method  of  taking  them  is  this:  each 
canoe  carries  two  men,  one  of  whom  steers 
with  a  paddle,  and  the  other  is  provided  with  a 
pole  ten  feet  in  length,  and  at  the  end  of  which 
is  afi&xed  a  scoop-net.  The  steersman  sets  the 
canoe  from  the  eddy  of  one  rock  to  that  of 
another;  while  the  fisherman  in  the  prow,  who 
sees  through  the  pellucid  element  the  prey 
of  which  he  is  in  pursuit,  dips  his  net  and 
sometimes  brings  up  at  every  succeeding  dip 
as  many  as  it  can  contain.  The  fish  are  often 
crowded  together  in  the  water  in  great  numbers, 
and  a  skilful  fisherman  in  autumn  will  take 
five  hundred  in  two  hours. 

This  fishery  is  of  great  moment  to  the  sur- 
rounding Indians,  whom  it  supplies  with  a 
large  proportion  of  their  winter's  provision; 
for  having  taken  the  fish  in  the  manner  de- 
scribed, they  cure  them  by  drying  in  the  smoke, 
and  lay  them  up  in  large  quantities. 

There  is  at  present  a  village  of  Chipewa  of 
fifty  warriors  seated  at  this  place;  but  the  in- 
habitants reside  here  during  the  summer  only, 
going  westward  in  the  winter  to  hunt.  The 
village  was  anciently  much  more  populous. 

At  the  south  are  also  seen  a  few  of  the  wan- 
dering O'pimittish  Ininiwac,  Hterally  Men  of 
the  Woods,  otherwise  called  Wood  Indians  and 
Gens  de  Terres  —  a  peaceable  and  inofifensive 

6i 


^lejranticr  l^enrp 


race,  but  less  conversant  with  some  of  the  arts 
of  first  necessity  than  any  of  their  neighbors. 
They  have  no  villages,  and  their  lodges  are 
so  rudely  fashioned  as  to  afford  them  but 
very  inadequate  protection  against  inclement 
skies.  The  greater  part  of  their  year  is  spent 
in  traveling  from  place  to  place  in  search  of 
food.  The  animal  on  which  they  chiefly  depend 
is  the  hare.  This  they  take  in  springes.  Of 
the  skin  they  make  coverings  with  much  ingen- 
uity, cutting  it  into  narrow  strips,  and  weaving 
these  into  a  cloth  of  the  shape  of  a  blanket,  and 
of  a  quahty  very  warm  and  agreeable. 

The  pleasant  situation  of  the  fort,  and  still 
more  the  desire  of  learning  the  Chipewa 
language,  led  me  to  resolve  on  wintering  in  it. 
In  the  family  of  M.  Cadotte  no  other  language 
than  the  Chipewa  was  spoken. 

During  the  summer  the  weather  was  some- 
times exceedingly  hot.  Mosquitoes  and  black 
flies  were  so  numerous  as  to  be  a  heavy  counter- 
poise to  the  pleasure  of  hunting.  Pigeons  were 
in  great  plenty;  the  stream  supplied  our  drink; 
and  sickness  was  unknown. 

In  the  course  of  the  season  a  small  detach- 
ment of  troops  under  the  command  of  Lieu- 
tenant Jemette  ^  arrived  to  garrison  the  fort. 

*^  This  was  Ensign  John  Jamet  of  the  Sixtieth  Reg- 
iment, who  came  to  Mackinac  with  Captain  Ethering- 
ton  in  the  autumn  of  1 760.  He  was  the  first  victim  of 
the  massacre  when  Mackinac  was  taken  by  the  Chip- 
pewa in  June,  1763. — Editor. 

62 


chapter  7 

DESTRUCTION  OF  THE  FORT  AND  RETURN  TO 
MACKINAC 

IN  the  beginning  of  October  the  fish  as  is 
usual  was  in  great  abundance  at  the  Sault; 
and  by  the  fifteenth  day  of  the  month  I  had 
myself  taken  upward  of  five  hundred.  These 
I  caused  to  be  dried  in  the  customary  manner 
by  suspending  them  in  pairs,  head  downward, 
on  long  poles  laid  horizontally  for  that  pur- 
pose and  supported  by  two  stakes  driven 
into  the  ground  at  either  end.  The  fish 
are  frozen  the  first  night  after  they  are 
taken;  and  by  the  aid  of  the  severe  cold  of 
the  winter  they  are  thus  preserved  in  a  state 
perfectly  fit  for  use  even  till  the  month  of 
April. 

Others  were  not  less  successful  than  myself; 
and  several  canoe-loads  of  fish  were  exported 
to  Michilimackinac,  our  commanding  officer 
being  unable  to  believe  that  his  troops  would 
have  need  to  live  on  fish  during  the  winter; 
when,  as  he  flattered  himself,  a  regular  supply 
of  venison  and  other  food  would  reach  the 
garrison  through  the  means  of  the  Indians, 
whose  services  he  proposed  to  purchase  out  of 
the  large  funds  of  liquor  which  were  subject 
to  his  orders. 

63 


9lleji*anticr  l^mrp 


But  all  these  calculations  were  defeated  by 
the  arrival  of  a  very  serious  misfortune.  At 
one  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  the  twenty- 
second  day  of  December  ^  I  was  awakened  by 
an  alarm  of  fire,  which  was  actually  raging 
in  the  houses  of  the  commandant  and  others. 
On  arriving  at  the  commandant 's  I  found  that 
this  officer  was  still  within  side;  and  being 
acquainted  with  the  window  of  the  room  in 
which  he  slept  I  procured  it  to  be  broken  in  in 
time  for  his  escape.  I  was  also  so  fortunate  as 
to  save  a  small  quantity  of  gunpowder  only  a 
few  moments  before  the  fire  reached  all  the 
remainder.  A  part  of  the  stockade^  all  the 
houses,  M.  Cadotte's  alone  excepted,  all  the 
provisions  of  the  troops,  and  a  considerable 
part  of  our  fish  were  burnt. 

On  consultation  the  next  day  it  was  agreed 
that  the  only  means  which  remained  at  this 
late  period  of  the  season  to  preserve  the  garri- 
son from  famine  was  that  of  sending  it  back  to 
Michilimackinac.  This  was  itself  an  under- 
taking of  some  peril ;  for,  had  the  ice  prevented 
their  reaching  the  place  of  destination,  starving 
would  have  become  as  inevitable  elsewhere 
as  it  threatened  to  be  at  the  Sault  de  Ste. 
Marie.  The  soldiers  embarked  and  happily 
reached  Michilimackinac  on  the  thirty-first 
day  of  the  month.  On  the  very  next  morning 
the  navigation  was  wholly  closed. 

**The  fort  was  destroyed  December  lo,  1762. — 
Editor. 


64 


The  commandant  and  all  the  rest  now  lived 
in  one  small  house,  subsisting  only  by  hunting 
and  fishing.  The  woods  affarded  us  some 
hares  and  partridges,  and  we  took  large  trout 
with  the  spear.  In  order  to  spear  trout  under 
the  ice,  holes  being  first  cut  of  two  yards  in 
circumference,  cabins  of  about  two  feet  in 
height  are  built  over  them  of  small  branches  of 
trees;  and  these  are  further  covered  with  skins 
so  as  wholly  to  exclude  the  light.  The  design 
and  result  of  this  contrivance  is  to  render  it 
practicable  to  discern  objects  in  the  water  at  a 
very  considerable  depth;  for  the  reflection  of 
light  from  the  water  gives  that  element  an 
opaque  appearance  and  hides  all  objects  from 
the  eye  at  a  small  distance  beneath  its  surface. 
A  spear  head  of  iron  is  fastened  on  a  pole  of 
about  ten  feet  in  length.  This  instrument  is 
lowered  into  the  water;  and  the  fisherman,  lying 
upon  his  belly,  with  his  head  under  the  cabin 
or  cover,  and  therefore  over  the  hole,  lets  down 
the  figure  of  a  fish  in  wood  and  filled  with  lead. 
Round  the  middle  of  the  fish  is  tied  a  small 
packthread;  and  when  at  the  depth  of  ten 
fathoms  where  it  is  intended  to  be  employed,  it 
is  made,  by  drawing  the  string  and  by  the 
simultaneous  pressure  of  the  water,  to  move 
forward  after  the  manner  of  a  real  fish.  Trout 
and  other  large  fish,  deceived  by  its  resem- 
blance, spring  toward  it  to  seize  it;  but  by  a  dex- 
terous jerk  of  the  string  it  is  instantly  taken 
out  of  their  reach.    The  decoy  is  now  drawn 

6s 


^Icranticr  l^enrp 


nearer  to  the  surface,  and  the  fish  takes  some 
time  to  renew  the  attack,  during  which  the 
spear  is  raised  and  held  conveniently  for  strik- 
ing. On  the  return  of  the  fish  the  spear  is 
plunged  into  its  back;  and,  the  spear  being 
barbed,  it  is  easily  drawn  out  of  the  water. 
So  completely  do  the  rays  of  the  Hght  pervade 
the  element  that  in  three  fathorns  of  water  I  have 
often  seen  the  shadows  of  the  fish  on  the  bot- 
tom, following  them  as  they  moved;  and  this 
when  the  ice  itself  was  two  feet  in  thickness. 

By  these  pursuits  and  others  of  a  similar 
kind  we  supported  ourselves  for  two  months, 
that  is  until  the  twentieth  of  February,  when 
we  imagined  the  lake  to  be  frozen  and  Michi- 
limackinac  therefore  accessible;  and  the  com- 
mandant wishing  to  go  to  that  fort,  M.  Ca- 
dotte,  myself,  two  Canadians,  and  two  Indians, 
agreed  to  accompany  him.  The  Canadians 
and  Indians  were  loaded  with  some  parched 
maize,  some  fish,  a  few  pieces  of  scorched  pork, 
which  had  been  saved  from  the  fire,  and  a 
few  loaves  of  bread  made  of  flour  which  was 
also  partly  burnt. 

We  walked  on  snowshoes,  a  mode  of  travel- 
ing sufficiently  fatiguing  to  myself,  but  of 
which  the  commandant  had  had  no  previous 
experience  whatever.  In  consequence  our 
progress  was  slow,  wearisome,  and  disastrous. 
On  the  seventh  day  of  our  march  we  had  only 
reached  Point  du  Detour  which  lies  half  way 
between  the  Sault  and  Michilimackinac ;  and 
66 


Crabd^  and  ^Dbcnturc^ 

here  to  our  mortification  and  dismay  we  found 
the  lake  still  open  and  the  ice  drifting.  Our 
provisions,  too,  on  examination,  were  found  to 
be  nearly  expended;  and  nothing  remained  for 
us  to  do  but  to  send  back  the  Canadians  and 
Indians,  whose  motions  would  be  swift,  for  an 
additional  supply. 

In  their  absence  the  commandant,  M.  Ca- 
dotte,  and  myself,  three  persons  in  number, 
were  left  with  about  two  pounds  of  pork  and 
three  of  bread  for  our  subsistence  during  the 
three  days  and  perhaps  four,  which  they  would 
require  for  a  journey  of  ninety  miles.  Being 
appointed  to  act  the  part  of  commissary,  I 
divided  the  pro\asions  into  four  parts,  one  for 
each  day;  and  to  our  great  happiness  at  ten 
o'clock  on  the  fourth  day  our  faithful  servants 
returned.  Early  in  the  morning  of  the  fifth  we 
left  our  encampment  and  proceeded.  The 
weather  this  day  was  exceedingly  cold. 

We  had  only  advanced  two  leagues  when  the 
commandant  found  it  almost  wholly  impos- 
sible to  go  further,  his  feet  being  blistered  by 
the  cords  of  the  snowshoes.  On  this  account 
we  made  short  marches  for  three  days;  and 
this  loss  of  time  threatened  us  anew  with 
famine.  We  were  now  too  far  from  the  Sault  to 
send  back  for  a  supply;  and  it  was  therefore 
determined  that  myself,  accompanied  by  one 
of  the  Canadians,  should  go  as  speedily  as 
possible  to  Michihmackinac,  and  there  inform 
the   commanding  officer  of   the  situation  of 

67 


^Icranber  l^cnrp 


those  behind.  Accordingly  the  next  morning 
at  break  of  day  I  left  my  fellow  sufiferers,  and  at 
three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  had  the  pleasure 
of  entering  the  fort,  whence  a  party  was  sent 
the  next  morning  with  provisions.  This  party 
returned  on  the  third  day,  bringing  with  it 
Lieutenant  Jemette  and  the  rest,  in  safety. 
Major  Etherington,  of  the  Sixtieth  Regiment, 
who  had  arrived  in  the  preceding  autumn,  now 
commanded  at  the  fort. 

I  remained  at  Michilimackinac  until  the 
tenth  of  March,  on  which  day  I  set  out  on  my 
return  to  the  Sault,  taking  the  route  of  the 
Bay  of  Boutchitaouy  ^^  which  the  ice  had  now 
rendered  practicable.  From  the  bottom  of  the 
bay  the  course  Hes  in  a  direct  line  through  the 
woods,  a  journey  I  performed  in  two  days, 
though  I  was  now  troubled  with  a  disorder, 
called  the  snowshoe  evil,  proceeding  from  an 
unusual  strain  on  the  tendons  of  the  leg, 
occasioned  by  the  weight  of  the  snowshoe  and 
which  brings  on  inflammation.  The  remedy  pre- 
scribed in  the  country  is  that  of  laying  a  piece 
of  Hghted  touchwood  on  the  part  and  leaving  it 
there  till  the  flesh  is  burnt  to  the  nerve;  but 
this  experiment,  though  I  had  frequently  seen 
it  attended  with  success  in  others,  I  did  not 
think  proper  to  make  upon  myself. 


*^  Modern  St.  Martin  Bay,  which  indents  the  Upper 
Peninsula  of  Michigan  due  north  of  Mackinac  Island. 
— Editor. 

68 


Ctabcl^  anil  ^D^enturc^ 

The  lands  between  the  Bay  of  Boutchitaouy 
and  the  Sault  are  generally  swampy,  excepting 
so  much  of  them  as  compose  a  ridge,  or 
mountain,  running  east  and  west,  and  which 
is  rocky  and  covered  with  the  rock  or  sugar 
maple,  or  sugar  wood/®  The  season  for  making 
maple  sugar  was  now  at  hand;  and  shortly 
after  my  arrival  at  the  Sault  I  removed  with 
the  other  inhabitants  to  the  place  at  which  we 
were  to  perform  the  manufacture. 

A  certain  part  of  the  maple  woods  having 
been  chosen,  and  which  was  distant  about 
three  miles  from  the  fort,  a  house  twenty  feet 
long  and  fourteen  broad  was  begun  in  the 
morning,  and  before  night  made  fit  for  the 
comfortable  reception  of  eight  persons  and 
their  baggage.  It  was  open  at  top,  had  a  door 
at  each  end,  and  a  fireplace  in  the  middle  run- 
ning the  whole  length. 

The  next  day  was  employed  in  gathering 
the  bark  of  white  birch  trees  with  which  to 
make  vessels  to  catch  the  wine  or  sap.  The 
trees  were  now  cut  or  tapped,  and  spouts  or 
ducts  introduced  into  the  wound.  The  bark 
vessels  were  placed  under  the  ducts;  and  as 
they  filled,  the  liquor  was  taken  out  in  buckets 
and  conveyed  into  reservoirs  or  vats  of  moose 
skin,  each  vat  containing  a  hundred  gallons. 
From  these  we  supplied  the  boilers,  of  which 
we  had  twelve  of  from  twelve  to  twenty  gal- 
lons each,  with  fires  constantly  under  them 

*^  Acer  saccharinum. — Author. 
6q 


^Icrantiet  i^cnrp 


day  and  night.  While  the  women  collected 
the  sap,  boiled  it,  and  completed  the  sugar,  the 
men  were  not  less  busy  in  cutting  wood,  mak- 
ing fires,  and  in  hunting  and  fishing  in  part  of 
our  supply  of  food. 

The  earlier  part  of  the  spring  is  that  best 
adapted  to  making  maple  sugar.  The  sap 
runs  only  in  the  day;  and  it  will  not  run  unless 
there  has  been  a  frost  the  night  before.  When 
in  the  morning  there  is  a  clear  sun  and  the  night 
has  left  ice  of  the  thickness  of  a  dollar  the 
greatest  quantity  is  produced. 

On  the  twenty-fifth  of  April  our  labor  ended, 
and  we  returned  to  the  fort,  carrying  with 
us  as  we  found  by  the  scales,  sixteen  hundred- 
weight of  sugar.  We  had  besides  thirty-six 
gallons  of  syrup;  and  during  our  stay  in  the 
woods  we  certainly  consumed  three  hundred- 
weight. Though,  as  I  have  said,  we  hunted 
and  fished,  yet  sugar  was  our  principal  food 
during  the  whole  month  of  April.  I  have 
known  Indians  to  live  wholly  upon  the  same 
and  become  fat. 

On  the  day  of  our  return  to  the  fort  there 
arrived  an  English  gentleman.  Sir  Robert 
Dovers,^'^  on  a  voyage  of  curiosity.  I  accom- 
panied this  gentleman  on  his  return  to  Michi- 
limackinac,  which  we  reached  on  the  twen- 
tieth of  May.    My  intention  was  to  remain 

*^  Sir  Robert  Davers  of  Suffolk,  England,  came  to 
America,  apparently  in  the  spring  of  1761  on  a  tour  of 
observation.   He  was  at  Detroit  in  the  spring  of  1762, 

70 


€rabd^  anti  ^tibcnturc^ 

there  till  after  my  clerks  should  have  come  in 
from  the  interior,  and  then  to  go  back  to  the 
Sault  de  Ste.  Marie. 

In  the  beginning  of  May  the  geese  and 
ducks  made  their  appearance,  in  their  progress 
northward.  "  ' 

whence  he  left  for  a  tour  of  the  Upper  Lakes.  He  was 
again  at  Detroit  during  the  winter  of  1762-63,  and  in 
May  of  the  latter  year  was  slain,  the  first  victim  of 
Pontiac's  uprising.  His  body  was  eaten  by  the  Indians. 
It  is  apparent  that  Henry  is  in  error  as  to  the  date 
here  given. — Editor. 


71 


chapter  8 

THE  GATHERING  STORM 

WHEN  I  reached  Michilimackinac  I 
found  several  other  traders  who  had 
arrived  before  me  from  different  parts  of 
the  country,  and  who  in  general  declared  the 
dispositions  of  the  Indians  to  be  hostile  to  the 
EngHsh,  and  even  apprehended  some  attack. 
M.  Laurent  Ducharme  ^^  distinctly  informed 
Major  Etherington  that  a  plan  was  absolutely 
conceived  for  destroying  him,  his  garrison  and 
all  the  English  in  the  upper  country;  but  the 
commandant,  believing  this  and  other  reports 
to  be  without  foundation,  proceeding  only 
from  idle  or  ill-disposed  persons,  and  of 
a  tendency  to  do  mischief,  expressed  much 
displeasure  against  M.  Ducharme,  and  threat- 
ened to  send  the  next  person  who  should 
bring  a  story  of  the  same  kind  a  prisoner  to 
Detroit. 

The  garrison  at  this  time  consisted  of  ninety 
privates,  two  subalterns  and  the  commandant; 
and  the  English  merchants  at  the  fort  were 

*^  Laurent  Ducharme  was  a  resident  of  Mackinac  at 
least  as  early  as  1758.  At  the  time  of  the  American 
Revolution  he  seems  to  have  been  stationed  at  Mil- 
waukee. A  cousin,  Jean  Marie  Ducharme,  was  a  prom- 
inent fur  trader  in  the  Northwest  in  this  period. — 
Editor. 

72 


four  in  number/^  Thus  strong,  few  entertained 
anxiety  concerning  the  Indians,  who  had  no 
weapons  but  small  arms. 

Meanwhile  the  Indians  from  every  quarter 
were  daily  assembling  in  unusual  numbers, 
but  with  every  appearance  of  friendship, 
frequenting  the  fort,  and  disposing  of  their 
peltries  in  such  a  manner  as  to  dissipate 
almost  every  one's  fears.  For  myself,  on  one 
occasion  I  took  the  liberty  of  observing  to 
Major  Etherington  that  in  my  judgment  no 
confidence  ought  to  be  placed  in  them,  and 
that  I  was  informed  no  less  than  four  hundred 
lay  around  the  fort. 

In  return  the  Major  only  rallied  me  on  my 
timidity;  and  it  is  to  be  confessed  that  if  this 
officer  neglected  admonition  on  his  part,  so  did 
I  on  mine.  Shortly  after  my  first  arrival  at 
Michilimackinac  in  the  preceding  year  a 
Chipewa  named  Wawatam  began  to  come 
often  to  my  house,  betraying  in  his  demeanor 
strong  marks  of  personal  regard.  After  this 
had  continued  for  some  time  he  came  on  a 
certain   day,   bringing   with   him   his   whole 

*^  Here,  as  often,  Henry's  figures  are  erroneous.  In- 
stead of  ninety,  the  garrison  numbered  thirty-five. 
Francis  Parkman  suggests  that  Henry  meant  to  include 
"all  the  inhabitants  of  the  fort,  both  soldiers  and 
Canadians"  in  his  enumeration;  but  his  language 
plainly  does  not  admit  this  interpretation.  The  four 
merchants  were  Solomon,  Bostwick,  Henry,  and  one 
Tracy.  Of  the  latter,  who  was  killed  in  the  massacre, 
I  have  learned  no  more  than  Henry  himself  sets  forth. 
— Editor. 

73 


Sllcranticr  l^ciirp 


family,  and  at  the  same  time  a  large  present, 
consisting  of  skins,  sugar,  and  dried  meat. 
Having  laid  these  in  a  heap  he  commenced  a 
speech  in  which  he  informed  me  that  some 
years  before  he  had  observed  a  fast,  devoting 
himself  according  to  the  custom  of  his  nation 
to  solitude  and  to  the  mortification  of  his  body 
in  the  hope  to  obtain  from  the  Great  Spirit 
protection  through  all  his  days;  that  on  this 
occasion  he  had  dreamed  of  adopting  an 
Enghshman  as  his  son,  brother,  and  friend; 
that  from  the  moment  in  which  he  first  beheld 
me,  he  had  recognized  me  as  the  person  whom 
the  Great  Spirit  had  been  pleased  to  point  out 
to  him  for  a  brother;  that  he  hoped  that 
I  would  not  refuse  his  present,  and  that  he 
should  forever  regard  me  as  one  of  his  family. 

I  could  do  no  otherwise  than  accept  the 
present  and  declare  my  wUUngness  to  have  so 
good  a  man  as  this  appeared  to  be  for  my 
friend  and  brother.  I  offered  a  present  in 
return  for  that  which  I  had  received,  which 
Wawatam  accepted,  and  then  thanking  me  for 
the  favor  which  he  said  that  I  had  rendered 
him,  he  left  me  and  soon  after  set  out  on  his 
winter's  hunt. 

Twelve  months  had  now  elapsed  since  the 
occurrence  of  this  incident,  and  I  had  almost 
forgotten  the  person  of  my  brother,  when  on 
the  second  day  of  June,  Wawatam  came  again 
to  my  house  in  a  temper  of  mind  visibly 
melancholy  and  thoughtful.    He  told  me  that 

74 


he  had  just  returned  from  his  wintering 
ground,  and  I  asked  after  his  health;  but 
without  answering  my  question  he  went  on  to 
say  that  he  was  very  sorry  to  find  me  returned 
from  the  Sault;  that  he  had  intended  to  go  to 
that  place  himself  immediately  after  his 
arrival  at  Michilimackinac;  and  that  he  wished 
me  to  go  there,  along  with  him  and  his  family, 
the  next  morning.  To  all  this  he  joined  an 
inquiry  whether  or  not  the  commandant  had 
heard  bad  news,  adding  that  during  the  winter 
he  had  himself  been  frequently  disturbed  with 
the  noise  of  evil  birds;  and  further  suggesting 
that  there  were  numerous  Indians  near  the 
fort,  many  of  whom  had  never  shown  themselves 
within  it.  Wawatam  was  about  forty-five 
years  of  age,  of  an  excellent  character  among 
his  nation,  and  a  chief. 

Referring  much  of  what  I  heard  to  the 
peculiarities  of  the  Indian  character,  I  did  not 
pay  all  the  attention  which  they  will  be  found 
to  have  deserved  to  the  entreaties  and  remarks 
of  my  visitor.  I  answered  that  I  could  not 
think  of  going  to  the  Sault  so  soon  as  the  next 
morning,  but  would  follow  him  there  after  the 
arrival  of  my  clerks.  Finding  himself  unable 
to  prevail  with  me  he  withdrew  for  that  day; 
but  early  the  next  morning  he  came  again, 
bringing  with  him  his  wife  and  a  present  of 
dried  meat.  At  this  interview,  after  stating 
that  he  had  several  packs  of  beaver  for  which 
he  intended  to  deal  with  me,  he  expressed 

75 


^(^lerantier  l^enrp 


a  second  time  his  apprehensions  from  the 
numerous  Indians  who  were  round  the  fort, 
and  earnestly  pressed  me  to  consent  to  an  im- 
mediate departure  for  the  Sault.  As  a  reason 
for  this  particular  request  he  assured  me  that 
all  the  Indians  proposed  to  come  in  a  body 
that  day  to  the  fort  to  demand  Liquor  of  the 
commandant,  and  that  he  wished  me  to  be 
gone  before  they  should  grow  intoxicated. 

I  had  made,  at  the  period  to  which  I  am  now 
referring,  so  much  progress  in  the  language  in 
which  Wawatam  addressed  me  as  to  be  able 
to  hold  an  ordinary  conversation  in  it;  but  the 
Indian  manner  of  speech  is  so  extravagantly 
figurative  that  it  is  only  for  a  very  perfect 
master  to  follow  and  comprehend  it  entirely. 
Had  I  been  further  advanced  in  this  respect 
I  think  that  I  should  have  gathered  so  much 
information  from  this  my  friendly  monitor  as 
would  have  put  me  into  possession  of  the  de- 
sign of  the  enemy,  and  enabled  me  to  save  as 
well  others  as  myself;  as  it  was,  it  unfortunately 
happened  that  I  turned  a  deaf  ear  to  every- 
thing, lea\ang  Wawatam  and  his  wife,  after 
long  and  patient,  but  ineffectual  efforts,  to 
depart  alone  with  dejected  countenances,  and 
not  before  they  had  each  let  fall  some  tears. 

In  the  course  of  the  same  day  I  observed 
that  the  Indians  came  in  great  numbers  into 
the  fort,  purchasing  tomahawks  (small  axes  of 
one  pound  weight)  and  frequently  desiring  to 
see  silver  arm  bands  and  other  valuable  orna- 


76 


ments,  of  which  I  had  a  large  quantity  for 
sale.  These  ornaments,  however,  they  in  no 
instance  purchased;  but  after  turning  them 
over,  left  them,  saying  that  they  would  call 
again  the  next  day.  Their  motive,  as  it  after- 
ward appeared,  was  no  other  than  the  very 
artful  one  of  discovering,  by  requesting  to  see 
them,  the  particular  places  of  their  deposit 
so  that  they  might  lay  their  hands  on  them  in 
the  moment  of  pillage  with  the  greater  cer- 
tainty and  dispatch. 

At  night  I  turned  in  my  mind  the  visits 
of  Wawatam;  but  though  they  were  calculated 
to  excite  uneasiness  nothing  induced  me  to  be- 
lieve that  serious  mischief  was  at  hand.  The 
next  day  being  the  fourth  of  June  was  the 
King's  birthday.^'' 

°°  Contemporary  documents  show  that  the  massacre 
occurred  on  June  2  instead  of  June  4.  See  letters  of 
Captain  Etherington  in  Wis.  Hist.  Colls.,  VII,  162-63, 
and  XVIII,  253-54. — Editor. 


77 


Cljapter  9 

A  BALL  GAME  AND  A  MASSACRE 

THE  morning  was  sultry.  A  Chipewa 
came  to  tell  me  that  his  nation  was  going 
to  play  at  baggatiway  with  the  Sacs  or 
Saakies,  another  Indian  nation,  for  a  high  wager. 
He  invited  me  to  witness  the  sport,  adding  that 
the  commandant  was  to  be  there,  and  would 
bet  on  the  side  of  the  Chipewa.  In  conse- 
quence of  this  information  I  went  to  the  com- 
mandant and  expostulated  with  him  a  little, 
representing  that  the  Indians  might  possibly 
have  some  sinister  end  in  \aew;  but  the  com- 
mandant only  smiled  at  my  suspicions. 

Baggatiway,  called  by  the  Canadians  le  jeu 
de  la  crosse,  is  played  with  a  bat  and  ball.  The 
bat  is  about  four  feet  in  length,  curved,  and 
terminating  in  a  sort  of  racket.  Two  posts  are 
planted  in  the  ground  at  a  considerable  distance 
from  each  other,  as  a  mile  or  more.  Each  party 
has  its  post,  and  the  game  consists  in  throwing 
the  ball  up  to  the  post  of  the  adversary.  The 
ball,  at  the  beginning,  is  placed  in  the  middle 
of  the  course  and  each  party  endeavors  as 
well  to  throw  the  ball  out  of  the  direction  of 
its  owTi  post  as  into  that  of  the  adversary's. 
I  did  not  go  myself  to  see  the  match  which 
was  now  to  be  played  without  the  fort,  because 

78 


there  being  a  canoe  prepared  to  depart  on  the 
following  day  for  Montreal  I  employed  myself 
in  writing  letters  to  my  friends;  and  even  when 
a  fellow  trader,  Mr,  Tracy,  happened  to  call 
upon  me,  saying  that  another  canoe  had  just 
arrived  from  Detroit,  and  proposing  that  I 
should  go  wdth  him  to  the  beach  to  inquire  the 
news,  it  so  happened  that  I  still  remained  to 
finish  my  letters,  promising  to  follow  Mr.  Tracy 
in  the  course  of  a  few  minutes.  Mr.  Tracy 
had  not  gone  more  than  twenty  paces  from  my 
door  when  I  heard  an  Indian  war  cry  and  a 
noise  of  general  confusion. 

Going  instantly  to  my  window  I  saw  a  crowd 
of  Indians  within  the  fort  furiously  cutting 
down  and  scalping  every  Englishman  they 
found.  In  particular  I  witnessed  the  fate  of 
Lieutenant  Jemette. 

I  had  in  the  room  in  which  I  was  a  fowling 
piece,  loaded  with  swan-shot.  This  I  imme- 
diately seized  and  held  it  for  a  few  minutes, 
waiting  to  hear  the  drum  beat  to  arms.  In  this 
dreadful  interval  I  saw  several  of  my  country- 
men fall,  and  more  than  one  struggling  be- 
tween the  knees  of  an  Indian,  who,  holding 
him  in  this  manner,  scalped  him  while  yet 
living. 

At  length,  disappointed  in  the  hope  of  seeing 
resistance  made  to  the  enemy,  and  sensible,  of 
course,  that  no  effort  of  my  own  unassisted 
arm  could  avail  against  four  hundred  Indians, 
I  thought  only  of  seeking  shelter.    Amid  the 

79 


^Icjcanticr  i^cnrp 


slaughter  which  was  raging  I  observed  many 
of  the  Canadian  inhabitants  of  the  fort  calmly 
looking  on,  neither  opposing  the  Indians,  nor 
suffering  injury;  and  from  this  circumstance  I 
conceived  a  hope  of  finding  security  in  their 
houses. 

Between  the  yard  door  of  my  own  house  and 
that  of  M.   Langlade,   my  next  neighbor,^^ 

^'  This  was  Charles  Langlade,  one  of  the  most  re- 
markable men  in  the  histor>'  of  the  Northwest.  Born 
at  Mackinac  in  1729  of  a  French  father  and  a  native 
mother,  he  was  bred  to  war  from  childhood,  and  is  said 
to  have  participated  in  ninety-nine  battles  and  skir- 
mishes. In  1752  Langlade  led  a  band  of  northwestern 
Indians  in  the  descent  upon  the  English  at  Pickawillany 
and  there  struck  what  was  virtually  the  first  blow  in 
the  Seven  Years'  War.  Three  years  later  he  led  his 
northern  tribesmen  to  the  overthrow  of  General  Brad- 
dock 's  army,  and  there  is  strong  reason  for  thinking 
that  it  was  Langlade  who  planned  this  affair.  At  the 
siege  of  Quebec  in  1759,  his  quick  eye  caught  the  Eng- 
lish armj'  in  a  position  where  an  attack  would  have 
proved  fatal  to  it,  and  he  begged  his  French  superiors 
for  the  men  necessary  to  make  it.  But  Langlade  was  a 
militiaman  and  a  halfbreed,  and  the  regular  officers 
gave  no  heed  to  his  appeal;  the  opportunity  passed 
unutilized;  Wolfe  took  the  city,  and  New  France  be- 
came a  memory.  When  Montreal  surrendered  to  Gen- 
eral Amherst  in  September;  1760,  Beaujeau,  at  Mack- 
inac, departed  for  the  Illinois  in  advance  of  the  coming 
of  the  English  troops,  leaving  Langlade  in  charge,  with 
such  authority  as  he  might  be  able  to  wield,  and  he  it 
was  who  turned  the  place  over  to  Captain  Balfour  a 
year  later.  He  seems  loyally  to  have  accepted  the  con- 
sequences of  French  defeat,  and  for  the  remainder  of 
his  active  career  was  a  partisan  of  Great  Britain.  After 
the  massacre  of  1763,  Captain  Etherington  authorized 

80 


there  was  only  a  low  fence,  over  which  I  easily 
climbed.  At  my  entrance  I  found  the  whole 
family  at  the  windows,  gazing  at  the  scene  of 
blood  before  them.  I  addressed  myself  im- 
mediately to  M.  Langlade,  begging  that  he 
would  put  me  into  some  place  of  safety  until 
the  heat  of  the  affair  should  be  over;  an  act 
of  charity  by  which  he  might  perhaps  pre- 
serve me  from  the  general  massacre;  but  while 
I  uttered  my  petition  M.  Langlade,  who  had 
looked  for  a  moment  at  me,  turned  again  to 
the  window,  shrugging  his  shoulders  and  in- 
timating that  he  could  do  nothing  for  me: — 
"Que  voudriez-vous  que  j'en  ferais?" 

This  was  a  moment  for  despair;  but  the  next 
a  Pani  woman,^^  ^  slave  of  M.  Langlade's, 
beckoned  me  to  follow  her.  She  brought  me 
to  a  door  which  she  opened,  desiring  me  to 
enter,  and  telling  me  that  it  led  to  the  garret, 

Langlade  to  assume  charge  of  affairs  at  Mackinac. 
Soon  after  the  Pontiac  War  he  moved  to  Green  Bay, 
where  he  lived  until  his  death  in  the  year  1800.  In  the 
Revolution  he  was  a  staunch  upholder  of  British  in- 
terests, leading  his  red  followers  repeatedly  against  the 
Americans. — Editor. 

^^  The  Panics  are  an  Indian  nation  of  the  south. — 
Author. 

This  is  quite  true,  but  the  term  pani  as  here  used 
meant  simply  an  Indian  slave,  without  regard  to  his 
tribal  origin.  It  is  a  curious  fact  that  as  in  Europe  the 
word  slave,  originally  a  national  name,  was  degraded  to 
its  present  significance  of  bondman,  so  among  the  red 
men  of  North  America  the  name  of  an  Indian  tribe 
came  to  have  a  like  significance. — Editor. 

81 


^(^Icjranticr  l^nirp 


where  I  must  go  and  conceal  myself.  I  joy- 
fully obeyed  her  directions;  and  she,  having 
followed  me  up  to  the  garret  door,  locked  it 
after  me  and  with  great  presence  of  mind 
took  away  the  key. 

This  shelter  obtained,  if  shelter  I  could  hope 
to  find  it,  I  was  naturally  anxious  to  know 
what  might  still  be  passing  without.  Through 
an  aperture  which  afforded  me  a  view  of  the 
area  of  the  fort  I  beheld,  in  shapes  the  foulest 
and  most  terrible,  the  ferocious  triumphs  of 
barbarian  conquerors.  The  dead  were  scalped 
and  mangled;  tho  dying  were  writhing  and 
shrieking  under  the  unsatiated  knife  and 
tomahawk;  and  from  the  bodies  of  some,  ripped 
open,  their  butchers  were  drinking  the  blood, 
scooped  up  in  the  hollow  of  joined  hands  and 
quaffed  amid  shouts  of  rage  and  victory.  I  was 
shaken  not  only  with  horror,  but  with  fear. 
The  sufferings  which  I  witnessed  I  seemed 
on  the  point  of  experiencing.  No  long  time 
elapsed  before  every  one  being  destroyed  who 
could  be  found,  there  was  a  general  cry  of 
"All  is  finished! "  At  the  same  instant  I  heard 
some  of  the  Indians  enter  the  house  in  which 
I  was. 

The  garret  was  separated  from  the  room 
below  only  by  a  layer  of  single  boards,  at  once 
the  flooring  of  the  one  and  the  ceiling  of  the 
other.  I  could  therefore  hear  everything  that 
passed ;  and  the  Indians  no  sooner  came  in  than 
they  inquired  whether  or  not  any  EngUshman 
82 


were  in  the  house.  M.  Langlade  replied  that 
he  could  not  say  —  he  did  not  know  of  any  — 
answers  in  which  he  did  not  exceed  the  truth, 
for  the  Pani  woman  had  not  only  hidden  me 
by  stealth,  but  kept  my  secret  and  her  own. 
M.  Langlade  was  therefore,  as  I  presume,  as  far 
from  a  wish  to  destroy  me  as  he  was  careless 
about  saving  me,  when  he  added  to  these 
answers  that  they  might  examine  for  them- 
selves, and  would  soon  be  satisfied  as  to  the 
object  of  their  question.  Saying  this,  he 
brought  them  to  the  garret  door.^' 

^'  It  seems  apparent  that  Henry  was  in  no  position 
to  estimate  properly  the  motives  which  actuated  the 
conduct  of  Langlade.  He  possessed  great  influence  over 
these  tribesmen,  whom  he  had  often  led  to  war  against 
the  English;  although  he  had  made  his  peace  with  the 
latter,  his  red  followers  had  not  done  so,  as  Henry's 
own  account  sufficiently  shows.  Even  today  in  civilized 
America  a  frenzied  mob  intent  on  shedding  blood  will 
frequently  ignore  the  appeals  for  peace  and  mercy  made 
to  it  by  a  sherifJ  or  other  constituted  authority.  In 
Indian  warfare  mercy  to  the  conquered  was  a  thing  un- 
thought  of.  Thus  Samuel  Hearne,  pleading  with  his 
Indian  friends  to  spare  the  life  of  an  Eskimo  girl,  was 
answered  with  ridicule  and  contempt.  John  Kinzie 
possessed  influence  enough  with  the  Indians  to  pass  un- 
scathed, with  all  his  family,  through  the  Fort  Dearborn 
massacre,  but  he  had  no  influence  to  save  the  women 
and  children,  his  neighbors,  who  were  slaughtered  in 
his  presence.  Captain  Etherington  testifies  that  Lang- 
lade was  "very  instrumental"  in  saving  his  own  life 
and  those  of  the  soldiers  after  the  massacre.  It  seems 
reasonable  to  conclude  that  he  recognized  the  futility 
of  any  resistance  to  the  Indians,  as  Henry  himself  had 
done  a  few  minutes  before;  and  that  under  the  cir- 

83 


^lejcanDer  i$mtp 


The  state  of  my  mind  will  be  imagined. 
Arrived  at  the  door  some  delay  was  occasioned 
by  the  absence  of  the  key  and  a  few  moments 
were  thus  allowed  me  in  which  to  look  around 
for  a  hiding  place.  In  one  corner  of  the  garret 
was  a  heap  of  those  vessels  of  birch  bark  used 
in  maple  sugar  making  as  I  have  recently 
described. 

The  door  was  unlocked,  and  opening,  and 
the  Indians  ascending  the  stairs,  before  I  had 
completely  crept  into  a  small  opening,  which 
presented  itself  at  one  end  of  the  heap.  An 
instant  after  four  Indians  entered  the  room, 
all  armed  with  tomahawks,  and  all  besmeared 
with  blood  upon  every  part  of  their  bodies. 

The  die  appeared  to  be  cast.  I  could  scarcely 
breathe;  but  I  thought  that  the  throbbing  of 
my  heart  occasioned  a  noise  loud  enough  to 
betray  me.  The  Indians  walked  in  every 
direction  about  the  garret,  and  one  of  them  ap- 
proached me  so  closely  that  at  a  particular 
moment,  had  he  put  forth  his  hand,  he  must 
have  touched  me.  Still  I  remained  undiscov- 
ered, a  circumstance  to  which  the  dark  color 
of  my  clothes  and  the  want  of  light  in  a  room 
which  had  no  window,  and  in  the  corner  in 
which  I  was,  must  have  contributed.  In  a  word, 
after  taking  several  turns  in  the  room,  during 
which  they  told  M,  Langlade  how  many  they 
had  killed  and  how  many  scalps  they  had 

cumstances  the  course  he  adopted  was  the  wisest  one 
open  to  him. — Editor. 


84 


taken,  they  returned  down  stairs,  and  I  with 
sensations  not  to  be  expressed,  heard  the  door, 
which  was  the  barrier  between  me  and  my 
fate,  locked  for  the  second  time. 

There  was  a  feather  bed  on  the  floor,  and 
on  this,  exhausted  as  I  was  by  the  agitation  of 
my  mind,  I  threw  myself  down  and  fell  asleep. 
In  this  state  I  remained  till  the  dusk  of  the 
evening,  when  I  was  awakened  by  a  second 
opening  of  the  door.  The  person  that  now 
entered  was  M.  Langlade's  wife,  who  was  much 
surprised  at  finding  me,  but  advised  me  not  to 
be  uneasy,  observing  that  the  Indians  had 
killed  most  of  the  English,  but  that  she  hoped  I 
might  myself  escape.  A  shower  of  rain  having 
begun  to  fall,  she  had  come  to  stop  a  hole  in  the 
roof.  On  her  going  away,  I  begged  her  to 
send  me  a  little  water  to  drink,  which  she  did. 

As  night  was  now  advancing  I  continued  to 
lie  on  the  bed,  ruminating  on  my  condition, 
but  unable  to  discover  a  resource  from  which  I 
could  hope  for  life.  A  flight  to  Detroit  had  no 
probable  chance  of  success.  The  distance 
from  Michilimackinac  was  four  hundred  miles; 
I  was  without  provisions;  and  the  whole 
length  of  the  road  lay  through  Indian  countries, 
countries  of  an  enemy  in  arms,  where  the  first 
man  whom  I  should  meet  would  kill  me.  To 
stay  where  I  was  threatened  nearly  the  same 
issue.  As  before,  fatigue  of  mind,  and  not 
tranquillity,  suspended  my  cares  and  procured 
me  further  sleep. 

8s 


Cl^apter  lo 

FIRST  DAYS  OF  CAPTIVITY 

THE  game  of  baggatiway,  as  from  the 
description  above  will  have  been  per- 
ceived, is  necessarily  attended  with  much 
violence  and  noise.  In  the  ardor  of  contest  the 
ball,  as  has  been  suggested,  if  it  cannot  be 
thrown  to  the  goal  desired,  is  struck  in  any 
direction  by  which  it  can  be  diverted  from  that 
designed  by  the  adversary.  At  such  a  moment, 
therefore,  nothing  could  be  less  Hable  to  excite 
premature  alarm  than  that  the  ball  should  be 
tossed  over  the  pickets  of  the  fort,  nor  that 
having  fallen  there,  it  should  be  followed  on 
the  instant  by  all  engaged  in  the  game,  as  well 
the  one  party  as  the  other,  all  eager,  all  strug- 
gHng,  all  shouting,  all  in  the  unrestrained  pur- 
suit of  a  rude  athletic  exercise.  Nothing  could 
be  less  fitted  to  excite  premature  alarm — 
nothing,  therefore,  could  be  more  happily 
devised,  under  the  circumstances,  than  a  strat- 
agem like  this;  and  this  was  in  fact  the 
stratagem  which  the  Indians  had  employed, 
by  which  they  had  obtained  possession  of  the 
fort,  and  by  which  they  had  been  enabled  to 
slaughter  and  subdue  its  garrison  and  such  of 
its  other  inhabitants  as  they  pleased.  To  be 
still  more  certain  of  success  they  had  prevailed 
86 


upon  as  many  as  they  could  by  a  pretext  the 
least  liable  to  suspicion  to  come  voluntarily 
without  the  pickets,  and  particularly  the  com- 
mandant and  garrison  themselves. 

The  respite  which  sleep  afforded  me  during 
the  night  was  put  an  end  to  by  the  return  of 
morning.  I  was  again  on  the  rack  of  appre- 
hension. At  sunrise  I  heard  the  family  stirring, 
and  presently  after,  Indian  voices  informing 
M.  Langlade  they  had  not  found  my  hapless 
self  among  the  dead,  and  that  they  supposed 
me  to  be  somewhere  concealed.  M.  Lang- 
lade appeared  from  what  followed  to  be  by 
this  time  acquainted  with  the  place  of  my  re- 
treat, of  which  no  doubt  he  had  been  informed 
by  his  wife.  The  poor  woman,  as  soon  as 
the  Indians  mentioned  me,  declared  to  her 
husband  in  the  French  tongue  that  he  should 
no  longer  keep  me  in  his  house,  but  deliver 
me  up  to  my  pursuers,  giving  as  a  reason  for 
this  measure  that  should  the  Indians  discover 
his  instrumentaUty  in  my  concealment,  they 
might  revenge  it  on  her  children,  and  that 
it  was  better  that  I  should  die  than  they. 
M.  Langlade  resisted  at  first  this  sentence  of 
his  wife's;  but  soon  suffered  her  to  prevail, 
informing  the  Indians  that  he  had  been  told 
I  was  in  his  house,  that  I  had  come  there 
without  his  knowledge,  and  that  he  would  put 
me  into  their  hands.  This  was  no  sooner  ex- 
pressed than  he  began  to  ascend  the  stairs,  the 
Indians  following  upon  his  heels. 

87 


^IcjrantJer  l^cnrp 


I  now  resigned  myself  to  the  fate  with  which 
I  was  menaced;  and  regarding  every  attempt 
at  concealment  as  vain,  I  arose  from  the  bed 
and  presented  myself  full  in  view  to  the  Indians 
who  were  entering  the  room.  They  were  all 
in  a  state  of  intoxication,  and  entirely  naked, 
except  about  the  middle.  One  of  them,  named 
Wenniway,  whom  I  had  previously  known, 
and  who  was  upward  of  six  feet  in  height,  had 
his  entire  face  and  body  covered  with  charcoal 
and  grease,  only  that  a  white  spot  of  two  inches 
in  diameter  encircled  either  eye.  This  man, 
walking  up  to  me,  seized  me  with  one  hand  by 
the  collar  of  the  coat,  while  in  the  other  he  held 
a  large  carving  knife,  as  if  to  plunge  it  into  my 
breast;  his  eyes,  meanwhile,  were  fixed  stead- 
fastly on  mine.  At  length,  after  some  seconds 
of  the  most  anxious  suspense,  he  dropped  his 
arm,  saying,  "I  won't  kill  you!"  To  this  he 
added  that  he  had  been  frequently  engaged  in 
wars  against  the  EngHsh,  and  had  brought 
away  many  scalps;  that  on  a  certain  occasion 
he  had  lost  a  brother  whose  name  was  Musini- 
gon,  and  that  I  should  be  called  after  him. 

A  reprieve  upon  any  terms  placed  me  among 
the  Hving,  and  gave  me  back  the  sustaining 
voice  of  hope;  but  Wenniway  ordered  me  down- 
stairs, and  there  informing  me  that  I  was  to  be 
taken  to  his  cabin,  where,  and  indeed  every- 
where else,  the  Indians  were  all  mad  with 
liquor,  death  again  was  threatened,  and  not  as 
possible  only,  but  as  certain.  I  mentioned  my 
88 


fears  on  this  subject  to  M.  Langlade,  begging 
him  to  represent  the  danger  to  my  master. 
M.  Langlade  in  this  instance  did  not  withhold 
his  compassion,  and  Wenniway  immediately 
consented  that  I  should  remain  where  I  was 
until  he  found  another  opportunity  to  take  me 
away. 

Thus  far  secure  I  reascended  my  garret 
stairs  in  order  to  place  myself  the  furthest 
possible  out  of  the  reach  of  insult  from  drunken 
Indians;  but  I  had  not  remained  there  more 
than  an  hour,  when  I  was  called  to  the  room 
below  in  which  was  an  Indian  who  said  that 
I  must  go  with  him  out  of  the  fort,  Wenniway 
having  sent  him  to  fetch  me.  This  man,  as 
well  as  Wenniway  himself,  I  had  seen  before. 
In  the  preceding  year  I  had  allowed  him  to 
take  goods  on  credit,  for  which  he  was  still  in 
my  debt;  and  some  short  time  previous  to  the 
surprise  of  the  fort  he  had  said  upon  my  up- 
braiding him  with  want  of  honesty  that  he 
would  pay  me  before  long.  This  speech  now 
came  fresh  into  my  memory  and  led  me  to 
suspect  that  the  fellow  had  formed  a  design 
against  my  life.  I  communicated  the  suspicion 
to  M.  Langlade;  but  he  gave  for  answer  that 
I  was  not  now  my  own  master,  and  must  do  as 
I  was  ordered. 

The  Indian  on  his  part  directed  that  before 
I  left  the  house  I  should  undress  myself,  de- 
claring that  my  coat  and  shirt  would  become 
him  better  than  they  did  me.   His  pleasure  in 

89 


^tkrantier  i^enrp 


this  respect  being  complied  with,  no  other 
alternative  was  left  me  than  either  to  go  out 
naked,  or  to  put  on  the  clothes  of  the  Indian, 
which  he  freely  gave  me  in  exchange.  His 
motive  for  thus  stripping  me  of  my  own  ap- 
parel was  no  other  as  I  afterward  learned  than 
this,  that  it  might  not  be  stained  with  blood 
when  he  should  kill  me. 

I  was  now  told  to  proceed;  and  my  driver 
followed  me  close  until  I  had  passed  the  gate 
of  the  fort,  when  I  turned  toward  the  spot 
where  I  knew  the  Indians  to  be  encamped. 
This,  however,  did  not  suit  the  purpose  of  my 
enemy,  who  seized  me  by  the  arm  and  drew  me 
\dolently  in  the  opposite  direction  to  the  dis- 
tance of  fifty  yards  above  the  fort.  Here, 
finding  that  I  was  approaching  the  bushes  and 
sand  hills,  I  determined  to  proceed  no  farther, 
but  told  the  Indian  that  I  beheved  he  meant 
to  murder  me,  and  that  if  so  he  might  as  well 
strike  where  I  was  as  at  any  greater  distance. 
He  replied  with  coolness  that  my  suspicions 
were  just,  and  that  he  meant  to  pay  me  in 
this  manner  for  my  goods.  At  the  same  time 
he  produced  a  knife  and  held  me  in  a  position 
to  receive  the  intended  blow.  Both  this  and 
that  which  followed  were  necessarily  the  affair 
of  a  moment.  By  some  effort,  too  sudden  and 
too  little  dependent  on  thought  to  be  ex- 
plained or  remembered,  I  was  enabled  to  arrest 
his  arm  and  give  him  a  sudden  push  by  which  I 
turned  him  from  me  and  released  myself  from 
90 


his  grasp.  This  was  no  sooner  done  than  I  ran 
toward  the  fort  with  all  the  swiftness  in  my 
power,  the  Indian  following  me,  and  I  expect- 
ing every  moment  to  feel  his  knife.  I  succeeded 
in  my  flight;  and  on  entering  the  fort  I  saw 
Wenniway  standing  in  the  midst  of  the  area, 
and  to  him  I  hastened  for  protection.  Wenni- 
way desired  the  Indian  to  desist;  but  the  latter 
pursued  me  round  him,  making  several  strokes 
at  me  with  his  knife,  and  foaming  at  the  mouth 
with  rage  at  the  repeated  failure  of  his  pur- 
pose. At  length  Wenniway  drew  near  to 
M.  Langlade's  house;  and,  the  door  being 
open,  I  ran  into  it.  The  Indian  followed  me; 
but  on  my  entering  the  house  he  voluntarily 
abandoned  the  pursuit. 

Preserved  so  often  and  so  unexpectedly  as  it 
had  now  been  my  lot  to  be,  I  returned  to  my 
garret  with  a  strong  inclination  to  believe  that 
through  the  will  of  an  overruling  power  no 
Indian  enemy  could  do  me  hurt;  but  new  trials, 
as  I  believed,  were  at  hand  when  at  ten  o'clock 
in  the  evening  I  was  roused  from  sleep  and 
once  more  desired  to  descend  the  stairs.  Not 
less,  however,  to  my  satisfaction  than  sur- 
prise, I  was  summoned  only  to  meet  Major 
Etherington,  Mr.  Bostwick,  and  Lieutenant 
Lesslie,  who  were  in  the  room  below. 

These  gentlemen  had  been  taken  prisoners 
while  looking  at  the  game  without  the  fort  and 
immediately  stripped  of  all  their  clothes.  They 
were  now  sent  into  the  fort  under  the  charge 

91 


^Llexanbci:  ]^cnrp 


of  Canadians,  because,  the  Indians  having  re- 
solved on  getting  drunk,  the  chiefs  were 
apprehensive  that  they  would  be  murdered 
if  they  continued  in  the  camp.  Lieutenant 
Jemette  and  seventy  soldiers  had  been  killed; 
and  but  twenty  Englishmen,  including  sol- 
diers, were  still  ahve.^  These  were  all  within 
the  fort,  together  with  nearly  three  hundred 
Canadians.""** 

These  being  our  numbers,  myself  and 
others  proposed  to  Major  Etherington  to  make 
an  efifort  for  regaining  possession  of  the  fort 
and  maintaining  it  against  the  Indians.  The 
Jesuit  missionary  was  consulted  on  the  project; 
but  he  discouraged  us  by  his  representations, 
not  only  of  the  merciless  treatment  which  we 
must  expect  from  the  Indians  should  they 
regain  their  superiority,  but  of  the  little 
dependence  which  was  to  be  placed  upon  our 
Canadian  auxiUaries.  Thus  the  fort  and 
prisoners  remained  in  the  hands  of  the  Indians, 
though  through  the  whole  night  the  prisoners 
and  whites  were  in  actual  possession,  and  they 
were  without  the  gates. 

That  whole  night,  or  the  greater  part  of  it, 
was  passed  in  mutual  condolence,  and  my 
fellow  prisoners  shared  my  garret.     In   the 

^*  Captain  Etherington,  in  a  letter  to  his  superior 
officer  at  Detroit,  June  12,  1763,  states  that  sixteen 
soldiers  and  the  trader  Tracy  were  jiilled  in  the  mas- 
sacre, and  two  soldiers  wounded;  and  that  of  those  taken 
prisoners  on  June  2,  five  had  since  been  killed. — Editor. 

"Belonging  to  the  canoes,  etc. — Author. 
92 


morning,  being  again  called  down,  I  found  my 
master,  Wenniway,  and  was  desired  to  follow 
him.  He  led  me  to  a  small  house  within  the 
fort,  where  in  a  narrow  room  and  almost  dark 
I  found  Mr.  Ezekiel  Solomons,  an  EngHshman 
from  Detroit,  and  a  soldier,  all  prisoners. 
With  these  I  remained  in  painful  suspense 
as  to  the  scene  that  was  next  to  present 
itself  till  ten  o'clock  in  the  forenoon,  when 
an  Indian  arrived,  and  presently  marched  us  to 
the  lakeside  where  a  canoe  appeared  ready 
for  departure,  and  in  which  we  found  that  we 
were  to  embark. 

Our  voyage,  full  of  doubt  as  it  was,  would 
have  commenced  immediately,  but  that  one 
of  the  Indians  who  was  to  be  of  the  party  was 
absent.  His  arrival  was  to  be  waited  for;  and 
this  occasioned  a  very  long  delay  during  which 
we  were  exposed  to  a  keen  northeast  wind. 
An  old  shirt  was  all  that  covered  me;  I  suf- 
fered much  from  the  cold;  and  in  this  extremity 
M.  Langlade  coming  down  to  the  beach,  I 
asked  him  for  a  blanket,  promising  if  I  Uved  to 
pay  him  for  it  at  any  price  he  pleased;  but  the 
answer  I  received  was  this,  that  he  could  let 
me  have  no  blanket  unless  there  were  some  one 
to  be  security  for  the  payment.  For  myself, 
he  observed,  I  had  no  longer  any  property  in 
that  country.  I  had  no  more  to  say  to  M. 
Langlade;  but  presently  seeing  another  Cana- 
dian, named  John  Cuchoise,  I  addressed  to  him 
a  similar  request  and  was  not  refused.   Naked 

93 


^krantier  i^mrp 


as  I  was,  and  rigorous  as  was  the  weather,  but 
for  the  blanket  I  must  have  perished.  At  noon 
our  party  was  all  collected,  the  prisoners  all 
embarked,  and  we  steered  for  the  Isles  du 
Castor  ^^  in  Lake  Michigan. 

^^  The  Beaver  Islands  in  northern  Lake  Michigan, 
almost  due  west  of  Mackinac.  They  are  chiefly  notable 
in  history  as  the  seat  of  the  Mormon  kingdom  of 
St.  James,  founded  about  1850  by  James  Jesse  Strang. 
Big  Beaver  Island,  some  twelve  or  fifteen  miles  long, 
has  at  its  northern  end  an  excellent  harbor,  long  known 
to  the  sailors  by  the  name  of  Paradise  Bay.  Here 
Strang  established  his  capital,  named  in  his  honor, 
St.  James.  Around  the  islands  are  today  the  best  fish- 
ing grounds  on  Lake  Michigan;  and  St.  James,  a  village 
of  several  hundred  people,  is  chiefly  supported  by  this 
industry. — Editor. 


94 


Ci^apter  ii 


THE  JOURNEY  TO  BEAVER  ISLAND 

THE  soldier  who  was  our  companion  in 
misfortune  was  made  fast  to  a  bar  of  the 
canoe  by  a  rope  tied  round  his  neck,  as  is 
the  manner  of  the  Indians  in  transporting 
their  prisoners.  The  rest  were  left  unconfined; 
but  a  paddle  was  put  into  each  of  our  hands 
and  we  were  made  to  use  it.  The  Indians  in 
the  canoe  were  seven  in  number,  the  prisoners 
four.  I  had  left,  as  it  will  be  recollected, 
Major  Etherington,  Lieutenant  Lesslie,  and 
Mr.  Bostwick  at  M.  Langlade's,  and  was  now 
joined  in  misery  with  Mr.  Ezekiel  Solomons, 
the  soldier,  and  the  Englishman  who  had  newly 
arrived  from  Detroit.  This  was  on  the  sixth 
day  of  June.  The  fort  was  taken  on  the  fourth; 
I  surrendered  myself  to  Wenniway  on  the 
fifth ;  and  this  was  the  third  day  of  our  distress. 
We  were  bound,  as  I  have  said,  for  the  Isles 
du  Castor  which  lie  in  the  mouth  of  Lake 
Michigan;  and  we  should  have  crossed  the  lake, 
but  that  a  thick  fog  came  on,  on  account  of 
which  the  Indians  deemed  it  safer  to  keep  the 
shore  close  under  their  lee.  We  therefore  ap- 
proached the  lands  of  the  Ottawa  and  their 
village  of  L'Arbre  Croche  already  mentioned 
as  lying  about  twenty  miles  to  the  westward  of 

95 


^leranticr  i^enrp 


Michilimackinac  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
tongue  of  land  on  which  the  fort  is  built. 

Every  half  hour  the  Indians  gave  their  war 
whoops,  one  for  every  prisoner  in  their  canoe. 
This  is  a  general  custom,  by  the  aid  of  which 
all  other  Indians  within  hearing  are  apprised 
of  the  number  of  prisoners  they  are  carrying. 

In  this  manner  we  reached  Wagoshense,^^ 
a  long  point  stretching  westward  into  the  lake 
and  which  the  Ottawa  make  a  carrying-place 
to  avoid  going  round  it.  It  is  distant  eighteen 
miles  from  Michihmackinac.  After  the  Indi- 
ans had  made  their  war  whoop  as  before  an 
Ottawa  appeared  upon  the  beach,  who  made 
signs  that  we  should  land. 

In  consequence  we  approached.  The  Ottawa 
asked  the  news  and  kept  the  Chipewa  in 
further  conversation  till  we  were  within  a  few 
yards  of  the  land  and  in  shallow  water.  At 
this  moment  a  hundred  men  rushed  upon  us  from 
among  the  bushes  and  dragged  all  the  prisoners 
out  of  the  canoes  amid  a  terrifying  shout. 

We  now  believed  that  our  last  sufferings 
were  approaching;  but  no  sooner  were  we 
fairly  on  shore  and  on  our  legs  than  the  chiefs 
of  the  party  advanced  and  gave  each  of  us 
their  hands,  teUing  us  that  they  were  our 
friends,  and  Ottawa,  whom  the  Chipewa 
had  insulted  by  destroying  the  English  with- 
out consulting  with  them  on  the  affair.  They 
added  that  what  they  had  done  was  for  the 

"  i.  e.,  Fox  Point. — Author. 
96 


€rabri^  antx  SlDbcnturcjBf 

purpose  of  saving  our  lives,  the  Chipewa 
having  been  carrying  us  to  the  Isles  du  Castro 
only  to  kill  and  devour  us. 

The  reader's  imagination  is  here  distracted 
by  the  variety  of  our  fortunes,  and  he  may  well 
paint  to  himself  the  state  of  mind  of  those  who 
sustained  them;  who  were  the  sport,  or  the 
victims,  of  a  series  of  events  more  like  dreams 
than  realities,  more  like  fiction  than  truth!  It 
was  not  long  before  we  were  embarked  again 
in  the  canoes  of  the  Ottawa,  who,  the  same 
evening,  re-landed  us  at  Michilimackinac, 
where  they  marched  us  into  the  fort  in  view  of 
the  Chipewa,  confounded  at  beholding  the 
Ottawa  espouse  a  side  opposite  their  own. 

The  Ottawa,  who  had  accompanied  us  in 
sufficient  numbers,  took  possession  of  the  fort. 
We,  who  had  changed  masters  but  were  still 
prisoners,  were  lodged  in  the  house  of  the 
commandant  and  strictly  guarded. 

Early  the  next  morning  a  general  council 
was  held,  in  which  the  Chipewa  complained 
much  of  the  conduct  of  the  Ottawa  in  robbing 
them  of  their  prisoners,  alleging  that  all  the 
Indians,  the  Ottawa  alone  excepted,  were  at 
war  with  the  English;  that  Pontiac  had  taken 
Detroit;  that  the  King  of  France  had  awoke, 
and  repossessed  himself  of  Quebec  and  Mon- 
treal; and  that  the  English  were  meeting 
destruction,  not  only  at  MichiHmackinac,  but 
in  every  other  part  of  the  world.  From  all  this 
they  inferred  that  it  became  the   Ottawa  to 

97 


^leranticr  i^cnrp 


restore  the  prisoners  and  to  join  in  the  war; 
and  the  speech  was  followed  by  large  presents, 
being  part  of  the  plunder  of  the  fort,  and 
which  was  previously  heaped  in  the  center  of 
the  room.  The  Indians  rarely  make  their 
answers  till  the  day  after  they  have  heard  the 
arguments  offered.  They  did  not  depart  from 
their  custom  on  this  occasion,  and  the  council 
therefore  adjourned. 

We,  the  prisoners,  whose  fate  was  thus  in 
controversy,  were  unacquainted  at  the  time 
with  this  transaction,  and  therefore  enjoyed 
a  night  of  tolerable  tranquillity,  not  in  the  least 
suspecting  the  reverse  which  was  preparing  for 
us.  Which  of  the  arguments  of  the  Chipewa, 
or  whether  or  not  all  were  deemed  vaUd  by  the 
Ottawa,  I  cannot  say;  but  the  council  was 
resumed  at  an  early  hour  in  the  morning  and 
after  several  speeches  had  been  made  in  it  the 
prisoners  were  sent  for  and  returned  to  the 
Chipewa. 

The  Ottawa,  who  now  gave  us  into  the 
hands  of  the  Chipewa,  had  themselves  de- 
clared that  the  latter  designed  no  other  than  to 
kill  us  and  make  broth  of  ns.  The  Chipewa, 
as  soon  as  we  were  restored  to  them,  marched 
us  to  a  village  of  their  own,  situate  on  the 
point  which  is  below  the  fort,  and  put  us  into  a 
lodge  already  the  prison  of  fourteen  soldiers, 
tied  two  and  two,  with  each  a  rope  about  his 
neck,  and  made  fast  to  a  pole  which  might  be 
called  the  supporter  of  the  building. 

98 


I  was  left  untied;  but  I  passed  a  night  sleep- 
less and  full  of  wretchedness.  My  bed  was  the 
bare  ground,  and  I  was  again  reduced  to  an 
old  shirt  as  my  entire  apparel;  the  blanket 
which  I  had  received  through  the  generosity 
of  M.  Cuchoise  having  been  taken  from  me 
among  the  Ottawa  when  they  seized  upon 
myself  and  the  others  at  Wagoshense.  I  was, 
besides,  in  want  of  food,  having  for  two  days 
ate  nothing. 

I  confess  that  in  the  canoe  with  the  Chipe- 
wa  I  was  offered  bread  —  but  bread  with 
what  accompaniment!  They  had  a  loaf  which 
they  cut  with  the  same  knives  that  they  had 
employed  in  the  massacre  —  knives  still 
covered  with  blood.  The  blood  they  moistened 
with  spittle,  and  rubbing  it  on  the  bread 
offered  this  for  food  to  their  prisoners,  telling 
them  to  eat  the  blood  of  their  countrymen. 

Such  was  my  situation  on  the  morning  of 
the  seventh  of  June,  in  the  year  one  thousand 
seven  hundred  and  sixty- three;  but  a  few  hours 
produced  an  event  which  gave  still  a  new  color 
to  my  lot. 

Toward  noon,  when  the  great  war  chief, 
in  company  with  Wenniway,  was  seated  at 
the  opposite  end  of  the  lodge,  my  friend  and 
brother,  Wawatam,  suddenly  came  in.  During 
the  four  days  preceding  I  had  often  wondered 
what  had  become  of  him.  In  passing  by  he 
gave  me  his  hand,  but  went  immediately  to- 
ward the  great  chief  by  the  side  of  whom 
99 


St^lcjcanliei:  i^cnrp 


and  Wenniway  he  sat  himself  down.  The  most 
uninterrupted  silence  prevailed;  each  smoked 
his  pipe;  and  this  done,  Wawatam  arose  and 
left  the  lodge,  saying  to  me  as  he  passed, 
"Take  courage!" 


RESCUED  BY  WAWATAM 

ylN  hour  elapsed,  during  which  several 
r\  chiefs  entered  and  preparations  appeared 
to  be  making  for  a  council.  At  length 
Wawatam  reentered  the  lodge,  followed  by  his 
wife,  and  both  loaded  with  merchandise  which 
they  carried  up  to  the  chiefs  and  laid  in  a 
heap  before  them.  Some  moments  of  silence 
followed,  at  the  end  of  which  Wawatam  pro- 
nounced a  speech,  every  word  of  which  to 
me  was  of  extraordinary  interest: 

"Friends  and  relations,"  he  began,  "what 
is  it  that  I  shall  say?  You  know  what  I  feel. 
You  all  have  friends  and  brothers  and  chil- 
dren, whom  as  yourselves  you  love;  and  you — 
what  would  you  experience,  did  you,  like  me 
behold  your  dearest  friend — your  brother — 
in  the  condition  of  a  slave;  a  slave,  exposed 
every  moment  to  insult,  and  to  menaces  of 
death?  This  case,  as  you  all  know,  is  mine. 
See  there  (pointing  to  myself)  my  friend  and 
brother  among  slaves — himself  a  slave! 

"You  all  well  know  that  long  before  the  war 
began  I  adopted  him  as  my  brother.  From 
that  moment  he  became  one  of  my  family,  so 
that  no  change  of  circumstances  could  break 
the  cord  which  fastened  us  together. 


^Icjrantier  i^cnrp 


"He  is  my  brother;  and  because  I  am  your 
relation  he  is  therefore  your  relation,  too:  — 
and  how,  being  your  relation,  can  he  be  your 
slave? 

"On  th«  day  on  which  the  war  began  you  were 
fearful  lest  on  this  very  account  I  should  reveal 
your  secret.  You  requested,  therefore,  that  I 
would  leave  the  fort,  and  even  cross  the  lake. 
I  did  so;  but  I  did  it  with  reluctance.  I 
did  it  with  reluctance,  notwithstanding  that 
you,  Menehwehna,  who  had  the  command  in 
this  enterprise,  gave  me  your  promise  that 
you  would  protect  my  friend,  delivering  him 
from  all  danger,  and  giving  him  safely  to 
me. 

"The  performance  of  this  promise  I  now  claim . 
I  come  not  with  empty  hands  to  ask  it.  You, 
Menehwehna,  best  know  whether  or  not,  as  it 
respects  yourself,  you  have  kept  your  word, 
but  I  bring  these  goods  to  buy  off  every  claim 
which  any  man  among  you  all  may  have  on 
my  brother,  as  his  prisoner," 

Wawatam  having  ceased,  the  pipes  were 
again  filled;  and  after  they  were  finished  a  fur- 
ther period  of  silence  followed.  At  the  end  of 
this,  Menehwehna  arose  and  gave  his  reply: 

"My  relation  and  brother,"  said  he,  "what 
you  have  spoken  is  the  truth.  We  were  ac- 
quainted with  the  friendship  which  subsisted 
between  yourself  and  the  Englishman  in  whose 
behalf  you  have  now  addressed  us.  We  knew 
the  danger  of  having  our  secret  discovered, 


and  the  consequences  which  must  follow;  and 
you  say  truly  that  we  requested  you  to  leave  the 
fort.  This  we  did  out  of  regard  for  you  and 
your  family;  for  if  a  discovery  of  our  design 
had  been  made,  you  would  have  been  blamed, 
whether  guilty  or  not;  and  you  would  thus 
have  been  involved  in  difficulties  from  which 
you  could  not  have  extricated  yourself. 

"It  is  also  true  that  I  promised  you  to  take 
care  of  your  friend;  and  this  promise  I  per- 
formed by  desiring  my  son,  at  the  moment  of 
assault,  to  seek  him  out  and  bring  him  to  my 
lodge.  He  went  accordingly,  but  could  not 
find  him.  The  day  after  I  sent  him  to  Lang- 
lade's, when  he  was  informed  that  your  friend 
was  safe;  and  had  it  not  been  that  the  Indians 
were  then  drinking  the  rum  which  had  been 
found  in  the  fort  he  would  have  brought  him 
home  with  him,  according  to  my  orders. 

"I  am  very  glad  to  find  that  your  friend  has 
escaped.  We  accept  your  present;  and  you 
may  take  him  home  with  you. " 

Wawatam  thanked  the  assembled  chiefs, 
and  taking  me  by  the  hand,  led  me  to  his  lodge, 
which  was  at  the  distance  of  a  few  yards  only 
from  the  prison  lodge.  My  entrance  appeared 
to  give  joy  to  the  whole  family;  food  was  im- 
mediately prepared  for  me;  and  I  now  ate  the 
first  hearty  meal  which  I  had  made  since  my  cap- 
ture. I  found  myself  one  of  the  family;  and  but 
that  I  had  still  my  fears  as  to  the  other  Indi- 
ans I  felt  as  happy  as  the  situation  could  allow. 
103 


^ierander  i^enrp 


In  the  course  of  the  next  morning  I  was 
alarmed  by  a  noise  in  the  prison  lodge;  and 
looking  through  the  openings  of  the  lodge  in 
which  I  was,  I  saw  seven  dead  bodies  of  white 
men  dragged  forth.  Upon  my  inquiry  into  the 
occasion  I  was  informed  that  a  certain  chief 
called  by  the  Canadians  Le  Grand  Sable  had 
not  long  before  arrived  from  his  winter's 
hunt;  and  that  he,  having  been  absent  when 
the  war  begun,  and  being  now  desirous  of 
manifesting  to  the  Indians  at  large  his  hearty 
concurrence  in  what  they  had  done,  had  gone 
into  the  prison  lodge,  and  there,  with  his 
knife,  put  the  seven  men,  whose  bodies  I  had 
seen,  to  death. 

Shortly  after  two  of  the  Indians  took  one  of 
the  dead  bodies  which  they  chose  as  being  the 
fattest,  cut  off  the  head,  and  divided  the  whole 
into  five  parts,  one  of  which  was  put  into  each 
of  five  kettles,  hung  over  as  many  fires  kindled 
for  this  purpose  at  the  door  of  the  prison  lodge. 
Soon  after  things  were  so  far  prepared  a 
message  came  to  our  lodge  with  an  invitation 
to  Wawatam  to  assist  at  the  feast. 

An  invitation  to  a  feast  is  given  by  him  who 
is  the  master  of  it.  Small  cuttings  of  cedar 
wood,  of  about  four  inches  in  length,  supply  the 
place  of  cards;  and  the  bearer,  by  word  of 
mouth,  states  the  particulars. 

Wawatam  obeyed  the  summons,  taking  with 
him  as  is  usual  to  the  place  of  entertainment 
dish  and  spoon. 

104 


Crabel^  anb  ^tibenturc^ 

After  an  absence  of  about  half  an  hour  he 
returned  bringing  in  his  dish  a  human  hand  and 
a  large  piece  of  flesh.  He  did  not  appear  to 
rehsh  the  repast,  but  told  me  that  it  was  then 
and  always  had  been  the  custom  among  all  the 
Indian  nations  when  returning  from  war,  or  on 
overcoming  their  enemies,  to  make  a  war  feast 
from  among  the  slain.  This,  he  said,  inspired 
the  warrior  with  courage  in  attack,  and  bred 
him  to  meet  death  with  fearlessness. 

In  the  evening  of  the  same  day  a  large 
canoe,  such  as  those  which  came  from  Mon- 
treal, was  seen  advancing  to  the  fort.  It  was 
full  of  men,  and  I  distinguished  several  pas- 
sengers. The  Indian  cry  was  made  in  the 
village;  a  general  muster  ordered;  and,  to  the 
number  of  two  hundred,  they  marched  up  to 
the  fort  where  the  canoe  was  expected  to  land. 
The  canoe,  suspecting  nothing,  came  boldly 
to  the  fort,  where  the  passengers,  as  being 
English  traders,  were  seized,  dragged  through 
the  water,  beat,  reviled,  marched  to  the  prison 
lodge,  and  there  stripped  of  their  clothes,  and 
confined. 

Of  the  EngUsh  traders  that  fell  into  the 
hands  of  the  Indians  at  the  capture  of  the  fort, 
Mr.  Tracy  was  the  only  one  who  lost  his  life. 
Mr.  Ezekiel  Solomons  and  Mr.  Henry  Bost- 
wick  were  taken  by  the  Ottawa,  and  after  the 
peace,  carried  down  to  Montreal,  and  there 
ransomed.  Of  ninety  troops  about  seventy 
were  killed;  the  rest,  together  with  those  of 


^Icjranlicr  l^cnrp 


the  posts  in  the  Bay  des  Puants,  and  at  the 
River  St.  Joseph,  were  also  kept  in  safety 
by  the  Ottawa  till  the  peace,  and  then  either 
freely  restored,  or  ransomed  at  Montreal. ^^ 
The  Ottawa  never  overcame  their  disgust  at 
the  neglect  with  which  they  had  been  treated 
in  the  beginning  of  the  war  by  those  who 
afterward  desired  their  assistance  as  allies. 

**The  garrison  of  Fort  Edward  Augustus  at  Green 
Bay  came  at  the  summons  of  Captain  Etherington  to 
join  that  officer  at  L  'Arbre  Croche, being  escorted  across 
Lake  ^Michigan  by  a  band  of  friendly  ^lenominee.  The 
garrison  at  St.  Joseph  was  massacred  on  May  25  by  the 
Potawatomi;  the  four  survivors  of  this  massacre  were 
carried  to  Detroit  and  there,  on  June  15,  exchanged  for 
certain  Indians  then  in  the  hands  of  the  besieged  gar- 
rison at  that  place. — Editor. 


106 


THE  ADVENTURE   OF   THE   BONES 

IN  the  morning  of  the  ninth  of  June  a  general 
council  was  held,  at  which  it  was  agreed 
to  remove  to  the  island  of  Michilimackinac, 
as  a  more  defensible  situation,  in  the  event  of 
an  attack  by  the  EngHsh.  The  Indians  had 
begun  to  entertain  apprehensions  of  want  of 
strength.  No  news  had  reached  them  from  the 
Potawatomi,  in  the  Bay  des  Puants;  and 
they  were  uncertain  whether  or  not  the 
Monomins^^  would  join  them.  They  even 
feared  that  the  Sioux  would  take  the  English 
side. 

This  resolution  fixed,  they  prepared  for  a 
speedy  retreat.  At  noon  the  camp  was  broken 
up,  and  we  embarked,  taking  with  us  the 
prisoners  that  were  still  undisposed  of.  On  our 
passage  we  encountered  a  gale  of  wind,  and 
there  were  some  appearances  of  danger.  To 
avert  it,  a  dog,  of  which  the  legs  were  previously 
tied  together,  was  thrown  into  the  lake;  an 
offering  designed  to  soothe  the  angry  passions 
of  some  offended  Manito. 

^^  Manomines  or  IVIalomines.  In  the  first  syllable  the 
substitution  of  I  for  n,  and  «  for  /,  marks  one  of  the 
dififerences  in  the  Chippewa  and  Algonquin  dialects. 
In  the  mouth  of  an  Algonquin  it  is  Michilimackinac;  in 
that  of  a  Chippewa,  Michinimackinac. — Author. 
107 


Slkraittier  l^enrp 


As  we  approached  the  island  two  women  in 
the  canoe  in  which  I  was  began  to  utter  melan- 
choly and  hideous  cries.  Precarious  as  my 
condition  still  remained  I  experienced  some 
sensations  of  alarm  from  these  dismal  sounds, 
of  which  I  could  not  then  discover  the  occa- 
sion. Subsequently  I  learned  that  it  is  custom- 
ary for  the  women  on  passing  near  the  burial 
places  of  relations  never  to  omit  the  practice 
of  which  I  was  now  a  witness,  and  by  which 
they  intend  to  denote  their  grief. 

By  the  approach  of  evening  we  reached  the 
island  in  safety,  and  the  women  were  not  long 
in  erecting  our  cabins.  In  the  morning  there 
was  a  muster  of  the  Indians,  at  which  there 
were  found  three  hundred  and  fifty  figh  ting  men. 

In  the  course  of  the  day  there  arrived  a  canoe 
from  Detroit,  with  ambassadors,  who  en- 
deavored to  prevail  on  the  Indians  to  repair 
thither  to  the  assistance  of  Pontiac;  but  fear 
was  now  the  prevaihng  passion.  A  guard  was 
kept  during  the  day  and  a  watch  by  night,  and 
alarms  were  very  frequently  spread.  Had  an 
enemy  appeared  all  the  prisoners  would  have 
been  put  to  death;  and  I  suspected  that  as  an 
Enghshman  I  should  share  their  fate. 

Several  days  had  now  passed,  when  one 
morning  a  continued  alarm  prevailed,  and  I 
saw  the  Indians  running  in  a  confused  manner 
toward  the  beach.  In  a  short  time  I  learned 
that  two  large  canoes  from  Montreal  were  in 
sight. 

io8 


All  the  Indian  canoes  were  immediately- 
manned,  and  those  from  Montreal  were  sur- 
rounded and  seized  as  they  turned  the  point 
behind  which  the  flotilla  had  been  concealed. 
The  goods  were  consigned  to  a  Mr.  Levy,  and 
would  have  been  saved  if  the  canoe  men  had 
called  them  French  property;  but  they  were 
terrified,  and  disguised  nothing. 

In  the  canoes  was  a  large  proportion  of  hquor, 
a  dangerous  acquisition,  and  which  threatened 
disturbance  among  the  Indians,  even  to  the  loss 
of  their  dearest  friends.  Wawatam,  always 
watchful  of  my  safety,  no  sooner  heard  the 
noise  of  drunkenness,  which  in  the  evening  did 
not  fail  to  begin,  than  he  represented  to  me  the 
danger  of  remaining  in  the  village,  and  owned 
that  he  could  not  himself  resist  the  temptation 
of  joining  his  comrades  in  the  debauch.  That 
I  might  escape  all  mischief,  he,  therefore,  re- 
quested that  I  would  accompany  him  to  the 
mountain,  where  I  was  to  remain  hidden  till 
the  liquor  should  be  drunk. 

We  ascended  the  mountain  accordingly. 
It  is  this  mountain  which  constitutes  that  high 
land  in  the  middle  of  the  island,  of  which  I 
have  spoken  before,  as  of  a  figure  considered  as 
resembling  a  turtle,  and  therefore  called  michi- 
limackinac.  It  is  thickly  covered  with  wood, 
and  very  rocky  toward  the  top.  After  walking 
more  than  half  a  mile  we  came  to  a  large  rock 
at  the  base  of  which  was  an  opening,  dark 
within,  appearing  to  be  the  entrance  of  a  cave. 
109 


^IcranDcr  i^cnirp 


Here  Wawatam  recommended  that  I  should 
take  up  my  lodging,  and  by  all  means  to  remain 
till  he  returned. 

On  going  into  the  cave,  of  which  the  entrance 
was  nearly  ten  feet  wide,  I  found  the  farther 
end  to  be  rounded  in  its  shape,  Hke  that  of  an 
oven  but  with  a  further  aperture,  too  small, 
however,  to  be  explored. 

After  thus  looking  around  me  I  broke  small 
branches  from  the  trees  and  spread  them  for  a 
bed;  then  wrapped  myself  in  my  blanket,  and 
slept  till  daybreak. 

On  awaking  I  felt  myself  incommoded  by 
some  object  upon  which  I  lay;  and  removing  it 
found  it  to  be  a  bone.  This  I  supposed  to  be 
that  of  a  deer,  or  some  other  animal,  and  what 
might  very  naturally  be  looked  for  in  the  place 
in  which  I  was;  but  when  daylight  visited  my 
chamber  I  discovered  with  some  feeHngs  of 
horror  that  I  was  lying  on  nothing  less  than  a 
heap  of  human  bones  and  skulls  which  covered 
all  the  floor! 

The  day  passed  without  the  return  of  Wawa- 
tam, and  without  food.  As  night  approached 
I  found  myself  unable  to  meet  its  darkness  in 
the  charnel  house,  which,  nevertheless,  I  had 
viewed  free  from  uneasiness  during  the  day. 
I  chose,  therefore,  an  adjacent  bush  for  this 
night's  lodging,  and  slept  under  it  as  before; 
but  in  the  morning  I  awoke  hungry  and  dis- 
pirited, and  almost  envying  the  dry  bones,  to 
the  view  of  which  I  returned.   At  length  the 


sound  of  a  foot  reached  me,  and  my  Indian 
friend  appeared,  making  many  apologies  for 
his  long  absence,  the  cause  of  which  was  an 
unfortunate  excess  in  the  enjoyment  of  his 
liquor. 

This  point  being  explained,  I  mentioned  the 
extraordinary  sight  that  had  presented  itself 
in  the  cave  to  which  he  had  commended  my 
slumbers.  He  had  never  heard  of  its  existence 
before;  and  upon  examining  the  cave  together 
we  saw  reason  to  believe  that  it  had  been 
anciently  filled  with  human  bodies. 

On  returning  to  the  lodge  I  experienced  a 
cordial  reception  from  the  family,  which  con- 
sisted of  the  wife  of  my  friend,  his  two  sons, 
of  whom  the  eldest  was  married,  and  whose 
wife  and  a  daughter  of  thirteen  years  of  age, 
completed  the  list. 

Wawatam  related  to  the  other  Indians  the 
adventure  of  the  bones.  All  of  them  expressed 
surprise  at  hearing  it,  and  declared  that  they 
had  never  been  aware  of  the  contents  of  this 
cave  before.  After  visiting  it,  which  they  im- 
mediately did,  almost  every  one  offered  a  dif- 
ferent opinion  as  to  its  history. 

Some  advanced  that  at  a  period  when  the 
waters  overflowed  the  land  (an  event  which 
makes  a  distinguished  figure  in  the  history  of 
their  world)  the  inhabitants  of  this  island  had 
fled  into  the  cave,  and  been  there  drowned; 
others,  that  those  same  inhabitants,  when  the 
Huron  made   war  upon    them  (as    tradition 


^Icrantier  i^enrp 


says  they  did)  hid  themselves  in  the  cave,  and 
being  discovered,  were  there  massacred.  For 
myself,  I  am  disposed  to  believe  that  this  cave 
was  an  ancient  receptacle  of  the  bones  of 
prisoners  sacrificed  and  devoured  at  war 
feasts.  I  have  always  observed  that  the  Indians 
pay  particular  attention  to  the  bones  of  sacri- 
fices, preserving  them  unbroken,  and  deposit- 
ing them  in  some  place  kept  exclusively  for 
that  purpose. 


€\)apttv  14 

THE  ARTS  OF  THE  MEDICINE  MEN 

A  FEW  days  after  the  occurrence  of  the 
incidents  recorded  in  the  preceding 
chapter,  Menehwehna,  whom  I  now 
found  to  be  the  great  chief  of  the  village  of 
Michilimackinac,  came  to  the  lodge  of  my 
friend;  and  when  the  usual  ceremony  of  smok- 
ing was  finished,  he  observed  that  Indians  were 
now  daily  arriving  from  Detroit,  some  of  whom 
had  lost  relations  or  friends  in  the  war,  and 
who  would  certainly  retaliate  on  any  English- 
man they  found;  upon  which  account  his 
errand  was  to  advise  that  I  should  be  dressed 
like  an  Indian,  an  expedient  whence  I  might 
hope  to  escape  all  future  insult. 

I  could  not  but  consent  to  the  proposal,  and 
the  chief  was  so  kind  as  to  assist  my  friend 
and  his  family  in  effecting  that  very  day  the 
desired  metamorphosis.  My  hair  was  cut  ofif, 
and  my  head  shaved  with  the  exception  of  a 
spot  on  the  crown  of  about  twice  the  diameter 
of  a  crown-piece.  My  face  was  painted  with 
three  or  four  different  colors,  some  parts  of  it 
red,  and  others  black.  A  shirt  was  provided 
for  me,  painted  with  vermilion  mixed  with 
grease.  A  large  collar  of  wampum  was  put 
round  my  neck,  and  another  suspended  on  my 

113 


3llej:anticr  l^mrp 


breast.  Both  my  arms  were  decorated  with 
large  bands  of  silver  above  the  elbows,  be- 
sides several  smaller  ones  on  the  wrists;  and  my 
legs  were  covered  with  mitasses,  a  kind  of  hose 
made,  as  is  the  favorite  fashion,  of  scarlet 
cloth.  Over  all  I  was  to  wear  a  scarlet  blanket 
or  mantle,  and  on  my  head  a  large  bunch  of 
feathers. 

I  parted,  not  without  some  regret,  with  the 
long  hair  which  was  natural  to  it  and  which  I 
fancied  to  be  ornamental;  but  the  ladies  of  the 
family  and  of  the  village  in  general  appeared 
to  think  my  person  improved,  and  now  con- 
descended to  call  me  handsome,  even  among 
Indians. 

Protected  in  a  great  measure  by  this  dis- 
guise, I  felt  myself  more  at  Uberty  than  before; 
and  the  season  being  arrived  in  which  my 
clerks  from  the  interior  were  to  be  expected 
and  some  part  of  my  property,  as  I  had  a  right 
to  hope,  recovered,  I  begged  the  favor  of 
Wawatam  that  he  would  enable  me  to  pay  a 
short  visit  to  Michilimackinac.  He  did  not 
fail  to  comply,  and  I  succeeded  in  finding  my 
clerks;  but,  either  through  the  disturbed  state 
of  the  country,  as  they  represented  to  be  the 
case,  or  through  their  misconduct,  as  I  had 
reason  to  think,  I  obtained  nothing;  and  noth- 
ing, or  almost  nothing,  I  now  began  to  think, 
would  be  all  that  I  should  need  during  the  rest 
of  my  life.  To  fish  and  to  hunt,  to  collect  a 
few  skins,  and  exchange  them  for  necessaries, 
114 


€rabel^  anD  SlDbenturc^ef 

was  all  that  I  seemed  destined  to  do  and  to 
acquire  for  the  future. 

I  returned  to  the  Indian  village  where  at 
this  time  much  scarcity  of  food  prevailed.  We 
were  often  for  twenty-four  hours  without 
eating;  and  when  in  the  morning  we  had  no 
victuals  for  the  day  before  us  the  custom  was 
to  black  our  faces  with  grease  and  charcoal, 
and  exhibit  through  resignation  a  temper  as 
cheerful  as  if  in  the  midst  of  plenty. 

A  repetition  of  the  evil,  however,  soon  in- 
duced us  to  leave  the  island  in  search  of  food; 
and  accordingly  we  departed  for  the  Bay  of 
Boutchitaouy,  distant  eight  leagues,  and  where 
we  found  plenty  of  wild  fowl  and  fish. 

While  in  the  bay  my  guardian's  daughter- 
in-law  was  taken  in  labor  of  her  first  child. 
She  was  immediately  removed  out  of  the  com- 
mon lodge;  and  a  small  one  for  her  separate 
accommodation  was  begun  and  finished  by  the 
women  in  less  than  half  an  hour. 

The  next  morning  we  heard  that  she  was 
very  ill,  and  the  family  began  to  be  much 
alarmed  on  her  account;  the  more  so,  no  doubt, 
because  cases  of  difficult  labor  are  very  rare 
among  Indian  women.  In  this  distress,  Wawa- 
tam  requested  me  to  accompany  him  into  the 
woods;  and  on  our  way  informed  me  that  if 
he  could  find  a  snake  he  should  soon  secure 
relief  to  his  daughter-in-law. 

On  reaching  some  wet  ground  we  speedily 
obtained  the  object  of  our  search  in  a  small 

"5 


9llcjt:anticr  i^cnrp 


snake  of  the  kind  called  the  garter  snake. 
Wawatam  seized  it  by  the  neck;  and  hold- 
ing it  fast  while  it  coiled  itself  around  his 
arm,  he  cut  off  its  head,  catching  the  blood 
in  a  cup  that  he  had  brought  with  him.  This 
done,  he  threw  away  the  snake,  and  carried 
home  the  blood,  which  he  mixed  with  a  quan- 
tity of  water.  Of  this  mixture  he  adminis- 
tered first  one  tablespoonful,  and  shortly  after- 
wards a  second.  Within  an  hour  the  patient 
was  safely  delivered  of  a  fine  child :  and  Wa- 
watam subsequently  declared  that  the  remedy 
to  which  he  had  resorted  was  one  that  never 
failed. 

On  the  next  day  we  left  the  Bay  of  Bout- 
chitaouy;  and  the  young  mother,  in  high 
spirits,  assisted  in  loading  the  canoe,  bare- 
footed, and  knee  deep  in  the  water. 

The  medical  information,  the  diseases  and 
the  remedies  of  the  Indians,  often  engaged  my 
curiosity  during  the  period  through  which 
I  was  familiar  with  these  nations;  and  I  shall 
take  this  occasion  to  introduce  a  few  particulars 
connected  with  their  history. 

The  Indians  are  in  general  free  from  dis- 
orders; and  an  instance  of  their  being  subject 
to  dropsy,  gout,  or  stone,  never  came  within 
my  knowledge.  Inflammations  of  the  lungs 
are  among  their  most  ordinary  complaints,  and 
rheumatism  still  more  so,  especially  Viith  the 
aged.  Their  mode  of  life,  in  which  they  are  so 
much  exposed  to  the  wet  and  cold,  sleeping  on 
ii6 


the  ground,  and  inhaling  the  night  air,  suffi- 
ciently accounts  for  their  liability  to  these  dis- 
eases. The  remedies  on  which  they  most  rely 
are  emetics,  cathartics,  and  the  lancet;  but 
especially  the  last.  Bleeding  is  so  favorite  an 
operation  among  the  women  that  they  never 
lose  an  occasion  of  enjoying  it,  whether  sick 
or  well.  I  have  sometimes  bled  a  dozen  women 
in  a  morning  as  they  sat  in  a  row  along  a  fallen 
tree,  beginning  with  the  first — opening  the  vein 
— then  proceeding  to  the  second — and  so  on, 
having  three  or  four  individuals  bleeding  at 
the  same  time. 

In  most  villages,  and  particularly  in  those  of 
the  Chipewa,  this  service  was  required  of 
me;  and  no  persuasion  of  mine  could  ever 
induce  a  woman  to  dispense  with  it. 

In  all  parts  of  the  country  and  among  all 
the  nations  that  I  have  seen,  particular  in- 
dividuals arrogate  to  themselves  the  art  of 
healing,  but  principally  by  means  of  pretended 
sorcery;  and  operations  of  this  sort  are  always 
paid  for  by  a  present,  made  before  they  are 
begun.  Indeed,  whatever,  as  an  impostor,  may 
be  the  demerits  of  the  operator,  his  reward 
may  generally  be  said  to  be  fairly  earned  by 
dint  of  corporal  labor. 

I  was  once  present  at  a  performance  of  this 
kind  in  which  the  patient  was  a  female  child  of 
about  twelve  years  of  age.  Several  of  the  elder 
chiefs  were  invited  to  the  scene;  and  the  same 
compliment  was  paid  to  myself  on  account  of 

117 


^Icjcanticr  i^cnrp 


the  medical  skill  for  which  it  was  pleased  to 
give  me  credit. 

The  physician  (so  to  call  him)  seated  himself 
on  the  ground;  and  before  him  on  a  new  stroud 
blanket  was  placed  a  basin  of  water  in  which 
were  three  bones,  the  larger  ones,  as  it  appeared 
to  me,  of  a  swan's  wing.  In  his  hand  he  had  his 
shishiqjioi,  or  rattle,  with  which  he  beat  time  to 
his  medicine-song.  The  sick  child  lay  on  a  blan- 
ket near  the  physician.  She  appeared  to  have 
much  fever,  and  a  severe  oppression  of  the 
lungs,  breathing  with  difficulty,  and  betraying 
symptoms  of  the  last  stage  of  consumption. 

After  singing  for  some  time  the  physician 
took  one  of  the  bones  out  of  the  basin:  the 
bone  was  hollow ;  and  one  end  being  applied  to 
the  breast  of  the  patient,  he  put  the  other  into 
his  mouth  in  order  to  remove  the  disorder  by 
suction.  Having  persevered  in  this  as  long 
as  he  thought  proper,  he  suddenly  seemed  to 
force  the  bone  into  his  mouth  and  swallow  it. 
He  now  acted  the  part  of  one  suffering  severe 
pain;  but  presently  finding  relief,  he  made  a 
long  speech,  and  after  this  returned  to  singing, 
and  to  the  accompaniment  of  his  rattle.  With 
the  latter,  during  his  song,  he  struck  his  head, 
breast,  sides  and  back;  at  the  same  time  strain- 
ing as  if  to  vomit  forth  the  bone. 

Relinquishing    this    attempt,    he    applied 
himself  to  suction  a  second  time,  and  with  the 
second  of  the  three  bones;  and  this  also  he 
soon  seemed  to  swallow. 
ii8 


€rabcl^  anil  illlibcnturc^ 

Upon  its  disappearance  he  began  to  distort 
himself  in  the  most  frightful  manner,  using 
every  gesture  which  could  convey  the  idea 
of  pain;  at  length  he  succeeded,  or  pretended 
to  succeed,  in  throwing  up  one  of  the  bones. 
This  was  handed  about  to  the  spectators,  and 
strictly  examined;  but  nothing  remarkable 
could  be  discovered.  Upon  this  he  went  back 
to  his  song  and  rattle:  and  after  some  time 
threw  up  the  second  of  the  two  bones.  In  the 
groove  of  this  the  physician,  upon  examination, 
found  and  displayed  to  all  present  a  small 
white  substance,  resembling  a  piece  of  the 
quill  of  a  feather.  It  was  passed  round  the 
company  from  one  to  the  other;  and  declared 
by  the  physician  to  be  the  thing  causing  the 
disorder  of  his  patient. 

The  multitude  believe  that  these  physicians, 
whom  the  French  call  jongleurs,  or  jugglers, 
can  inflict  as  well  as  remove  disorders.  They 
believe  that  by  drawing  the  figure  of  any  per- 
son in  sand  or  ashes,  or  on  clay,  or  by  consider- 
ing any  object  as  the  figure  of  a  person  and  then 
pricking  it  with  a  sharp  stick  or  other  sub- 
stance, or  doing  in  any  other  manner  that 
which  done  to  a  living  body  would  cause  pain 
or  injury,  the  individual  represented,  or  sup- 
posed to  be  represented,  will  suffer  accordingly. 
On  the  other  hand  the  mischief  being  done, 
another  physician  of  equal  pretension  can  by 
suction  remove  it.  Unfortunately,  however, 
the  operations  which  I  have  described  were 
119 


^Icranticr  l^enrp 


not  successful  in  the  instance  referred  to;  for 
on  the  day  after  they  had  taken  place  the  girl 
died. 

With  regard  to  flesh  wounds  the  Indians 
certainly  effect  astonishing  cures.  Here,  also 
much  that  is  fantastic  occurs,  but  the  success 
of  their  practice  evinces  something  solid. 

At  the  Sault  de  Ste.  Marie  I  knew  a  man 
who  in  the  result  of  a  quarrel  received  the 
stroke  of  an  axe  in  his  side.  The  blow  was  so 
violent  and  the  axe  driven  so  deep  that  the 
wretch  who  held  it  could  not  withdraw  it,  but 
left  it  in  the  wound  and  fled.  Shortly  after  the 
man  was  found  and  brought  in  to  the  fort  where 
several  other  Indians  came  to  his  assistance. 
Among  these,  one,  who  was  a  physician,  im- 
mediately withdrew  in  order  to  fetch  his 
penegusan,  or  medicine  bag,  with  which  he  soon 
returned.  The  eyes  of  the  sufferer  were  fixed, 
his  teeth  closed,  and  his  case  apparently 
desperate. 

The  physician  took  from  his  bag  a  small 
portion  of  a  very  white  substance,  resembling 
that  of  a  bone;  this  he  scraped  into  a  little 
water  and  forcing  open  the  jaws  of  the  patient 
with  a  stick  he  poured  the  mixture  down  his 
throat.  What  followed  was  that  in  a  very 
short  space  of  time  the  wounded  man  moved 
his  eyes,  and  beginning  to  vomit  threw  up  a 
small  lump  of  clotted  blood. 

The  physician  now,  and  not  before,  exam- 
ined the  wound  from  which  I  could  see  the 


€raijcl^  and  9lDbenturci^ 

breath  escape,  and  from  which  a  part  of  the 
omentum  depended.  This  the  physician  did 
not  set  about  to  restore  to  its  place;  but  cutting 
it  away,  minced  it  into  small  pieces  and  made 
his  patient  swallow  it. 

The  man  was  then  carried  to  his  lodge  where 
I  visited  him  daily.  By  the  sixth  day  he  was 
able  to  walk  about;  and  within  a  month  he 
grew  quite  well  except  that  he  was  troubled 
with  a  cough.  Twenty  years  after  his  mis- 
fortune he  was  still  alive. 

Another  man,  being  on  his  wintering 
ground  and  from  home  hunting  beaver,  was 
t  crossing  a  lake  covered  with  smooth  ice  with 
two  beavers  on  his  back,  when  his  foot  slipped 
and  he  fell.  At  his  side  in  his  belt  was  his  axe, 
the  blade  of  which  came  upon  the  joint  of  his 
wrist;  and  the  weight  of  his  body  coming  upon 
the  blade,  his  hand  was  completely  separated 
from  his  arm  with  the  exception  of  a  small 
piece  of  the  skin.  He  had  to  walk  three  miles  to 
his  lodge  which  was  thus  far  away.  The  skin, 
which  alone  retained  his  hand  to  his  arm,  he 
cut  through  with  the  same  axe  which  had  done 
the  rest;  and  fortunately  having  on  a  shirt,  he 
took  it  ofiF,  tore  it  up,  and  made  a  strong  hga- 
ture  above  the  wrist,  so  as  in  some  measure 
to  avoid  the  loss  of  blood.  On  reaching  his 
lodge  he  cured  the  wound  himself  by  the  mere 
use  of  simples.  I  was  a  witness  to  its  perfect 
healing. 

I  have  said  that  these  physicians,  jugglers, 


^Icranticr  l^cnrp 


or  practitioners  of  pretended  sorcery,  are  sup- 
posed to  be  capable  of  inflicting  diseases ;  and 
I  may  add  that  they  are  sometimes  themselves 
sufferers  on  this  account.  In  one  instance  I 
saw  one  of  them  killed  by  a  man  who  charged 
him  with  having  brought  his  brother  to  death 
by  malefic  arts.  The  accuser  in  his  rage  thrust 
his  knife  into  the  belly  of  the  accused  and 
ripped  it  open.  The  latter  caught  his  bowels  in 
his  arms  and  thus  walked  toward  his  lodge, 
gathering  them  up  from  time  to  time  as  they 
escaped  his  hold.  His  lodge  was  at  no  con- 
siderable distance  and  he  reached  it  alive  and 
died  in  it. 


Cl^apter  is 

REMOVAL  TO  THE  AU  SABLE 

OUR  next  encampment  was  on  the  Island 
of  Saint  Martin,  oflf  Cape  St.  Ignace, 
so  called  from  the  Jesuit  mission  of  St. 
Ignatius  to  the  Hurons  formerly  established 
there.  Our  object  was  to  fish  for  sturgeon, 
which  we  did  with  great  success;  and  here  in 
the  enjoyment  of  a  plentiful  and  excellent  sup- 
ply of  food  we  remained  until  the  twentieth 
day  of  August.  At  this  time,  the  autumn  being 
at  hand,  and  a  sure  prospect  of  increased 
security  from  hostile  Indians  afforded,  Wawa- 
tam  proposed  going  to  his  intended  wintering 
ground.  The  removal  was  a  subject  of  the 
greatest  joy  to  myself  on  account  of  the  fre- 
quent insults  to  which  I  had  still  to  submit 
from  the  Indians  of  our  band  or  village;  and  to 
escape  from  which  I  would  freely  have  gone 
almost  anywhere.  At  our  wintering  ground  we 
were  to  be  alone;  for  the  Indian  families  in  the 
countries  of  which  I  write  separate  in  the 
winter  season  for  the  convenience  as  well  of 
subsistence  as  of  the  chase,  and  re-associate  in 
the  spring  and  summer. 

In  preparation  our  first  business  was  to  sail 
for  Michilimackinac,  where,  being  arrived, 
we  procured  from  a  Canadian  trader  on  credit 

123 


^Icjcanticr  ipcnrp 


some  trifling  articles  together  with  ammuni- 
tion and  two  bushels  of  maize.  This  done  we 
steered  directly  for  Lake  Michigan.  At  L'Ar- 
bre  Croche  we  stopped  one  day  on  a  visit  to 
the  Ottawas  where  all  the  people,  and  particu- 
larly Okinochumaki,  the  chief,  the  same  who 
took  me  from  the  Chippewa,  behaved  with 
great  civiUty  and  kindness.  The  chief  presented 
me  with  a  bag  of  maize.  It  is  the  Ottawa,  it 
will  be  remembered,  who  raise  this  grain  for 
the  market  of  Michilimackinac. 

Leaving  L'Arbre  Croche,  we  proceeded 
direct  to  the  mouth  of  the  River  Aux  Sables  ®° 
on  the  south  side  of  the  lake  and  distant  about 
a  hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  Fort  Michili- 
mackinac. On  our  voyage  we  passed  several 
deep  bays  and  rivers,  and  I  found  the  banks  of 
the  lake  to  consist  in  mere  sands  without  any 
appearance  of  verdure,  the  sand  drifting  from 
one  hill  to  another  like  snow  in  winter.  Hence 
all  the  rivers  which  here  entered  the  lake  are  as 
much  entitled  to  the  epithet  of  sandy  as  that 

^^  There  is  a  modern  Big  Sable  River  in  northern 
Mason  County,  Michigan,  and  near  its  mouth  a  head- 
land known  as  Point  Sable  juts  into  Lake  Michigan. 
On  D'Anville's  map  of  North  America,  published  in 
1746,  the  Aux  Sables  River  is  represented  correspond- 
ing with  modern  Pentwater  River.  It  is  clear  that 
Henry 's  wintering  place  was  in  the  vicinity  of  modern 
Ludington,  Michigan,  but  whether  on  the  Big  Sable, 
the  Notepseakan,  or  the  Pentwater  River,  is  uncertain. 
At  the  mouth  of  the  Notepseakan  (site  of  modern  Lud- 
ington) occurred  the  death  of  Father  Marquette  in 
1675. — Editor. 

124 


Crabd^  anti  ^tibcnturcief 

to  which  we  were  bound.  They  are  also  dis- 
tinguished by  another  particularity  always 
observable  in  similar  situations.  The  current 
of  the  stream  being  met  when  the  wind  is  con- 
trary by  the  waves  of  the  lake,  it  is  driven  back, 
and  the  sands  of  the  shore  are  at  the  same  time 
washed  into  its  mouth.  In  consequence  the 
river  is  able  to  force  a  passage  into  the  lake, 
broad  only  in  proportion  to  its  utmost  strength; 
while  it  hollows  for  itself  behind  the  sandbanks 
a  basin  of  one,  two,  or  three  miles  across.  In 
these  rivers  we  killed  many  wild  fowl  and 
beaver. 

To  kill  beaver  we  used  to  go  several  miles 
up  the  rivers  before  the  approach  of  night, 
and  after  the  dusk  came  on,  suffer  the  canoe 
to  drift  gently  down  the  current  without 
noise.  The  beaver  in  this  part  of  the  evening 
come  abroad  to  procure  food  or  materials  for 
repairing  their  habitations;  and  as  they  are 
not  alarmed  by  the  canoe,  they  often  pass  it 
within  gun  shot. 

While  we  thus  hunted  along  our  way  I  en- 
joyed a  personal  freedom  of  which  I  had  been 
long  deprived,  and  became  as  expert  in  the 
Indian  pursuits  as  the  Indians  themselves. 

On  entering  the  River  Aux  Sables,  Wawatam 
took  a  dog,  tied  its  feet  together,  and  threw  it 
into  the  stream,  uttering  at  the  same  time  a 
long  prayer  which  he  addressed  to  the  Great 
Spirit,  suppHcating  his  blessing  on  the  chase, 
and  his  aid  in  the  support  of  the  family  through 

125 


^IJerantier  i^cnrp 


the  dangers  of  a  long  winter.  Our  lodge  was 
fifteen  miles  above  the  mouth  of  the  stream. 
The  principal  animals  which  the  country 
afforded  were  the  stag,  or  red  deer,  the  com- 
mon American  deer,  the  bear,  raccoon,  beaver, 
and  marten. 

The  beaver  feeds  in  preference  on  young 
wood  of  the  birch,  aspen,  and  poplar  tree:^^ 
but  in  defect  of  these,  on  any  other  tree,  those 
of  the  pine  and  fir  kinds  excepted.  These  latter 
it  employs  only  for  building  its  dams  and 
houses.  In  wide  meadows  where  no  wood  is  to 
be  found  it  resorts  for  all  its  purposes  to  the 
roots  of  the  rush  and  water  lily.  It  consumes 
great  quantities  of  food,  whether  of  roots  or 
wood;  and  hence  often  reduces  itself  to  the 
necessity  of  removing  into  a  new  quarter.  Its 
bouse  has  an  arched  dome-like  roof,  of  an 
elliptical  figure,  and  rises  from  three  to  four 
feet  above  the  surface  of  the  water.  It  is 
always  entirely  surrounded  by  water;  but  in 
the  banks  adjacent  the  animal  provides  holes 
or  washes,  of  which  the  entrance  is  below 
the  surface,  and  to  which  it  retreats  on  the 
first  alarm. 

The  female  beaver  usually  produces  two 
young  at  a  time,  but  not  infrequently  more. 
During  the  first  year  the  young  remain  with 
their  parents.  In  the  second,  they  occupy  an 
adjoining  apartment  and  assist  in  building  and 

"  Populus  nigra,  called  by  the  Canadians,  Hard. — 
Author. 

126 


€rabcl^  and  3lDbenture^ 

in  procuring  food.  At  two  years  old  they  part 
and  build  houses  of  their  own,  but  often  rove 
about  for  a  considerable  time  before  they  fix 
upon  a  spot.  There  are  beavers  called  by  the 
Indians  old  bachelors,  who  live  by  themselves, 
build  no  houses,  and  work  at  no  dams,  but 
shelter  themselves  in  holes.  The  usual  method 
of  taking  these  is  by  traps,  formed  of  iron  or 
logs,  and  baited  with  branches  of  poplar. 

According  to  the  Indians  the  beaver  is  much 
given  to  jealousy.  If  a  strange  male  approaches 
the  cabin  a  battle  immediately  ensues.  Of 
this  the  female  remains  an  unconcerned  spec- 
tator, careless  to  which  party  the  law  of  con- 
quest may  assign  her.  Among  the  beaver 
which  we  killed  those  who  were  with  me  pre- 
tended to  show  demonstrations  of  this  fact, 
some  of  the  skins  of  the  males,  and  almost  all 
of  the  older  ones,  bearing  marks  of  violence, 
while  none  were  ever  to  be  seen  on  the  skins 
of  the  females. 

The  Indians  add  that  the  male  is  as  constant 
as  he  is  jealous,  never  attaching  himself  to 
more  than  one  female;  while  the  female  on  her 
side  is  always  fond  of  strangers. 

The  most  common  way  of  taking  the  beaver 
is  that  of  breaking  up  its  house,  which  is  done 
with  trenching  tools  during  the  winter,  when 
the  ice  is  strong  enough  to  allow  of  approaching 
them,  and  when,  also,  the  fur  is  in  its  most 
valuable  state. 

Breaking  up  the  house,  however,  is  only  a 

ja7 


^Icranticr  l^cnrp 


preparatory  step.  During  this  operation  the 
family  make  their  escape  to  one  or  more  of 
their  washes.  These  are  to  be  discovered  by 
striking  the  ice  along  the  bank,  and  where  the 
holes  are  a  hollow  sound  is  returned.  After 
discovering  and  searching  many  of  these  in 
vain  we  often  found  the  whole  family  together 
in  the  same  wash.  I  was  taught  occasionally 
to  distinguish  a  full  wash  from  an  empty  one 
by  the  motion  of  the  water  above  its  entrance 
occasioned  by  the  breathing  of  the  animals 
concealed  in  it.  From  the  washes  they  must 
be  taken  out  with  the  hands;  and  in  doing  this 
the  hunter  sometimes  receives  severe  wounds 
from  their  teeth.  While  a  hunter  I  thought 
with  the  Indians  that  the  beaver  flesh  was 
very  good;  but  after  that  of  the  ox  was  again 
within  my  reach  I  could  not  relish  it.  The  tail 
is  accounted  a  luxurious  morsel. 

Beavers,  say  the  Indians,  were  formerly  a 
people  endowed  with  speech,  not  less  than  with 
the  other  noble  faculties  they  possess;  but  the 
Great  Spirit  has  taken  this  away  from  them 
lest  they  should  grow  superior  in  understand- 
ing to  mankind. 

The  raccoon  was  another  object  of  our  chase. 
It  was  my  practice  to  go  out  in  the  evening 
with  dogs,  accompanied  by  the  youngest  son 
of  my  guardian,  to  hunt  this  animal.  The 
raccoon  never  leaves  its  hiding  place  till  after 
sunset. 

As  soon  as  a  dog  falls  on  a  fresh  track  of  the 

128 


raccoon  he  gives  notice  by  a  cry,  and  immediate- 
ly pursues.  His  barking  enables  the  hunter  to 
follow.  The  raccoon,  which  travels  slowly  and 
is  soon  overtaken,  makes  for  a  tree  on  which 
he  remains  till  shot. 

After  the  falling  of  the  snow  nothing  more  is 
necessary  for  taking  the  raccoon  than  to  follow 
the  track  of  his  feet.  In  this  season  he  seldom 
leaves  his  habitation;  and  he  never  lays  up  any 
food.  I  have  found  six  at  a  time  in  the  hollow 
of  one  tree  lying  upon  each  other,  and  nearly 
in  a  torpid  state.  In  more  than  one  instance 
I  have  ascertained  that  they  have  Hved  six 
weeks  without  food.  The  mouse  is  their  prin- 
cipal prey. 

Raccoon  hunting  was  my  more  particular  and 
daily  employ.  I  usually  went  out  at  the  first 
dawn  of  day  and  seldom  returned  till  sunset,  or 
till  I  had  laden  myself  with  as  many  animals  as 
I  could  carry.  By  degrees  I  became  familiar- 
ized with  this  kind  of  life ;  and  had  it  not  been  for 
the  idea  of  which  I  could  not  divest  my  mind, 
that  I  was  living  among  savages,  and  for  the 
whispers  of  a  lingering  hope  that  I  should  one 
day  be  released  from  it — or  if  I  could  have 
forgotten  that  I  had  ever  been  otherwise  than 
as  I  then  was — I  could  have  enjoyed  as  much 
happiness  in  this  as  in  any  other  situation. 


X39 


chapter  le 

LOST  IN  THE  WILDERNESS 

ONE  evening  on  my  return  from  hunting 
I  found  the  fire  put  out  and  the  opening 
in  the  top  of  the  lodge  covered  over 
with  skins,  by  this  means  excluding  as  much 
as  possible  external  light.  I  further  observed 
that  the  ashes  were  removed  from  the  fire- 
place, and  that  dry  sand  was  spread  where  they 
had  been.  Soon  after  a  fire  was  made  without 
side  the  cabin  in  the  open  air  and  a  kettle  hung 
over  it  to  boil. 

I  now  supposed  that  a  feast  was  in  prepara- 
tion. I  supposed  so  only;  for  it  would  have 
been  indecorous  to  inquire  into  the  meaning 
of  what  I  saw.  No  person  among  the  Indians 
themselves  would  use  this  freedom.  Good 
breeding  requires  that  the  spectator  should 
patiently  wait  the  result. 

As  soon  as  the  darkness  of  night  had  arrived 
the  family,  including  myself,  were  invited  into 
the  lodge.  I  was  now  requested  not  to  speak 
as  a  feast  was  about  to  be  given  to  the  dead, 
whose  spirits  delight  in  uninterrupted  silence. 

As  we  entered  each  was  presented  with  his 
wooden  dish  and  spoon,  after  receiving  which 
we  seated  ourselves.  The  door  was  next  shut, 
and  we  remained  in  perfect  darkness. 

130 


€rabdi9i  and  ^Dbcnturc^ 

The  master  of  the  family  was  the  master  of 
the  feast.  Still  in  the  dark  he  asked  every  one 
by  turn  for  his  dish  and  put  into  each  two 
boiled  ears  of  maize.  The  whole  being  served, 
he  began  to  speak.  In  his  discourse,  which 
lasted  half  an  hour,  he  called  upon  the  manes 
of  his  deceased  relations  and  friends,  beseech- 
ing them  to  be  present  to  assist  him  in  the 
chase,  and  to  partake  of  the  food  which  he  had 
prepared  for  them.  When  he  had  ended  we 
proceeded  to  eat  our  maize,  which  we  did  with- 
out other  noise  than  what  was  occasioned  by 
our  teeth.  The  maize  was  not  half  boiled,  and 
it  took  me  an  hour  to  consume  my  share.  I 
was  requested  not  to  break  the  spikes,®^  as 
this  would  be  displeasing  to  the  departed 
spirits  of  their  friends. 

When  all  was  eaten  Wawatam  made  another 
speech,  with  which  the  ceremony  ended.  A 
new  fire  was  kindled  with  fresh  sparks  from 
flint  and  steel;  and  the  pipes  being  smoked,  the 
spikes  were  carefully  buried  in  a  hole  made  in 
the  ground  for  that  purpose  within  the  lodge. 
This  done,  the  whole  family  began  a  dance, 
Wawatam  singing  and  beating  a  drum.  The 
dance  continued  the  greater  part  of  the  night, 
to  the  great  pleasure  of  the  lodge.  The  night  of 
the  feast  was  that  of  the  first  day  of  November. 

On  the  twentieth  of  December  we  took  an 
account  of  the  produce  of  our  hunt  and  found 

^^  The  grains  of  maize,  called  also  Indian  corn,  grow 
in  compact  cells  round  a  spike. — ^Author. 

'  131 


^Icranticr  l^cnrp 


that  we  had  a  hundred  beaver  skins,  as  many 
raccoons,  and  a  large  quantity  of  dried  venison; 
all  which  was  secured  from  the  wolves  by 
being  placed  upon  a  scaffold. 

A  hunting  excursion  into  the  interior  of  the 
country  was  resolved  on;  and  early  the  next 
morning  the  bundles  were  made  up  by  the 
women  for  each  person  to  carry.  I  remarked 
that  the  bundle  given  to  me  was  the  Hghtest, 
and  those  carried  by  the  women  the  largest 
and  heaviest  of  the  whole. 

On  the  first  day  of  our  march  we  advanced 
about  twenty  miles  and  then  encamped.  Being 
somewhat  fatigued,  I  could  not  hunt;  but 
Wawatam  killed  a  stag  not  far  from  our  en- 
campment. The  next  morning  we  moved  our 
lodge  to  the  carcass.  At  this  station  we  re- 
mained two  days,  employed  in  drying  the 
meat.  The  method  was  to  cut  it  into  slices 
of  the  thickness  of  a  steak,  and  then  hang  it 
over  the  fire  in  the  smoke.  On  the  third  day 
we  removed  and  marched  till  two  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon. 

While  the  women  were  busy  in  erecting  and 
preparing  the  lodges  I  took  my  gun  and  strolled 
away,  telling  Wawatam  that  I  intended  to 
look  out  for  some  fresh  meat  for  supper.  He 
answered  that  he  would  do  the  same;  and  on 
this  we  both  left  the  encampment  in  different 
directions. 

The  sun  being  visible  I  entertained  no  fear 
of  losing  my  way;  but  in  following  several 

132 


€rabd^  antx  9LDbcnturc^ 

tracks  of  animals  in  momentary  expectation  of 
falling  in  with  the  game  I  proceeded  to  a 
considerable  distance,  and  it  was  not  till  near 
sunset  that  I  thought  of  returning.  The  sky, 
too,  had  become  overcast,  and  I  was  therefore 
left  without  the  sun  for  my  guide.  In  this 
situation  I  walked  as  fast  as  I  could,  always 
supposing  myself  to  be  approaching  our  en- 
campment, till  at  length  it  became  so  dark 
that  I  ran  against  the  trees. 

I  became  convinced  that  I  was  lost;  and  I 
was  alarmed  by  the  reflection  that  I  was  in  a 
country  entirely  strange  to  me,  and  in  danger 
from  strange  Indians.  With  the  flint  of  my 
gun  I  made  a  fire,  and  then  laid  me  down  to 
sleep.  In  the  night  it  rained  hard.  I  awoke 
cold  and  wet;  and  as  soon  as  light  appeared  I 
recommenced  my  journey,  sometimes  walking 
and  sometimes  running,  unknowing  where  to 
go,  bewildered,  and  like  a  madman. 

Toward  evening  I  reached  the  border  of  a 
large  lake  of  which  I  could  scarcely  discern 
the  opposite  shore.  I  had  never  heard  of  a 
lake  in  this  part  of  the  country,  and  therefore 
felt  myself  removed  further  than  ever  from  the 
object  of  my  pursuit.  To  tread  back  my  steps 
appeared  to  be  the  most  Hkely  means  of  deliver- 
ing myself;  and  I  accordingly  determined  to 
turn  my  face  directly  from  the  lake,  and  keep 
this  direction  as  nearly  as  I  could. 

A  heavy  snow  began  to  descend  and  night 
soon  afterward  came  on.    On  this  I  stopped 

133 


^IcjcanDcr  i^nirp 


and  made  a  fire,  and  stripping  a  tree  of  its 
sheet  of  bark,  lay  down  under  it  to  shelter  me 
from  the  snow.  All  night  at  small  distances 
the  wolves  howled  around;  and  to  me  seemed 
to  be  acquainted  with  my  misfortune. 

Amid  thoughts  the  most  distracted  I  was  able 
at  length  to  fall  asleep;  but  it  was  not  long 
before  I  awoke  refreshed,  and  wondering  at 
the  terror  to  which  I  had  yielded  myself.  That 
I  could  really  have  wanted  the  means  of  re- 
covering my  way  appeared  to  me  almost  in- 
credible; and  the  recollection  of  it  like  a  dream, 
or  as  a  circumstance  which  must  have  pro- 
ceeded from  the  loss  of  my  senses.  Had  this 
not  happened  I  could  never,  as  I  now  thought, 
have  suffered  so  long  without  calling  to  mind 
the  lessons  which  I  had  received  from  my 
Indian  friend  for  the  very  purpose  of  being 
useful  to  me  in  difficulties  of  this  kind.  These 
were  that  generally  speaking  the  tops  of  pine 
trees  lean  toward  the  rising  of  the  sun;  that 
moss  grows  toward  the  roots  of  trees  on  the 
side  which  faces  the  north;  and  that  the  limbs 
of  trees  are  most  numerous  and  largest  on  that 
which  faces  the  south. 

Determined  to  direct  my  feet  by  these 
marks  and  persuaded  that  I  should  thus 
sooner  or  later  reach  Lake  Michigan,  which  I 
reckoned  to  be  distant  about  sixty  miles,  I 
began  my  march  at  break  of  day.  I  had  not 
taken,  nor  wished  to  take,  any  nourishment, 
since  I  left  the  encampment;  I  had  with  me  my 

134 


€rabel^  anti  SlDbcnturc^ 

gun  and  ammunition,  and  was  therefore  under 
no  anxiety  in  regard  to  food.  The  snow  lay- 
about half  a  foot  in  depth. 

My  eyes  were  now  employed  upon  the  trees. 
When  their  tops  leaned  different  ways  I  looked 
to  the  moss,  or  to  the  branches;  and  by  connect- 
ing one  with  another,  I  found  the  means  of 
travehng  with  some  degree  of  confidence.  At 
four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  the  sun,  to  my 
inexpressible  joy,  broke  from  the  clouds,  and 
I  had  now  no  further  need  of  examining  the 
trees. 

In  going  down  the  side  of  a  lofty  hill  I  saw 
a  herd  of  red  deer  approaching.  Desirous  of 
killing  one  of  them  for  food,  I  hid  myself  in  the 
bushes,  and  on  a  large  one  coming  near,  pre- 
sented my  piece,  which  missed  fire  on  account 
of  the  priming  having  been  wetted.  The  animals 
walked  along  without  taking  the  least  alarm; 
and  having  reloaded  my  gun,  I  followed  them 
and  presented  a  second  time.  But  now  a 
disaster  of  the  heaviest  kind  had  befallen  me; 
for  on  attempting  to  fire  I  found  that  I  had 
lost  the  cock.  I  had  previously  lost  the  screw 
by  which  it  was  fastened  to  the  lock;  and  to 
prevent  this  from  being  lost  also  I  had  tied  it  in 
its  place  with  a  leather  string:  the  lock,  to 
prevent  its  catching  in  the  bows,  I  had  carried 
under  my  molton  coat. 

Of  all  the  sufferings  which  I  had  experienced 
this  seemed  to  me  the  most  severe.  I  was  in  a 
strange  country,  and  knew  not  how  far  I  had 

135 


^leranticr  ipmrp 


to  go.  I  had  been  three  days  without  food;  I 
was  now  without  the  means  of  procuring  my- 
self either  food  or  fire.  Despair  had  almost 
overpowered  me:  but  I  soon  resigned  myself 
into  the  hands  of  that  Providence  whose  arm 
had  so  often  saved  me,  and  returned  on  my 
track  in  search  of  what  I  had  lost.  My  search 
was  in  vain,  and  I  resumed  my  course,  wet, 
cold  and  hungry,  and  almost  without  clothing. 


136 


Cl^apter  17 

A  BEAR  HUNT 

THE  sun  was  setting  fast  when  I  descended 
a  hill  at  the  bottom  of  which  was  a  small 
.  lake  entirely  frozen  over.  On  drawing 
near  I  saw  a  beaver  lodge  in  the  middle 
offering  some  faint  prospect  of  food;  but  I 
found  it  already  broken  up.  While  I  looked  at 
it,  it  suddenly  occurred  to  me  that  I  had  seen 
it  before;  and  turning  my  eyes  round  the  place 
I  discovered  a  small  tree  which  I  had  myself 
cut  down  in  the  autumn  when  in  company  with 
my  friends  I  had  taken  the  beaver.  I  was  no 
longer  at  a  loss,  but  knew  both  the  distance 
and  the  route  to  the  encampment.  The  latter 
was  only  to  follow  the  course  of  a  small  stream 
of  water  which  ran  from  the  encampment  to 
the  lake  on  which  I  stood.  An  hour  before 
I  had  thought  myself  the  most  miserable  of 
men;  and  now  I  leaped  for  joy  and  called  my- 
self the  happiest. 

The  whole  of  the  night  and  through  all  of 
the  succeeding  day  I  walked  up  the  rivulet, 
and  at  sunset  reached  the  encampment,  where 
I  was  received  with  the  warmest  expressions  of 
pleasure  by  the  family,  by  whom  I  had  been 
given  up  for  lost  after  a  long  and  vain  search 
for  me  in  the  woods. 

137 


^lejiranticr  l^enrp 


Some  days  elapsed,  during  which  I  rested 
myself  and  recruited  my  strength:  after  this 
I  resumed  the  chase,  secure  that  as  the  snow 
had  now  fallen  I  could  always  return  by  the 
way  I  went. 

In  the  course  of  the  month  of  January  I 
happened  to  observe  that  the  trunk  of  a  very 
large  pine  tree  was  much  torn  by  the  claws  of 
a  bear,  made  both  in  going  up  and  down.  On 
further  examination  I  saw  that  there  was  a 
large  opening  in  the  upper  part  near  which 
the  smaller  branches  were  broken.  From 
these  marks  and  from  the  additional  circum- 
stance that  there  were  no  tracks  on  the  snow 
there  was  reason  to  beUeve  that  a  bear  lay 
concealed  in  the  tree. 

On  returning  to  the  lodge  I  communicated 
my  discovery;  and  it  was  agreed  that  all  the 
family  should  go  together  in  the  morning  to 
assist  in  cutting  down  the  tree,  the  girth  of 
which  was  not  less  than  three  fathoms.  The 
women  at  first  opposed  the  undertaking  be- 
cause our  axes,  being  only  of  a  pound  and  a 
half  weight,  were  not  well  adapted  to  so  heavy 
a  labor;  but  the  hope  of  finding  a  large  bear 
and  obtaining  from  its  fat  a  great  quantity  of 
oil,  an  article  at  the  time  much  wanted,  at 
length  prevailed. 

Accordingly  in  the  morning  we  surrounded 
the  tree,  both  men  and  women,  as  many  at  a 
time  as  could  conveniently  work  at  it;  and 
here  we  toiled  like  beaver  till  the  sun  went 


138 


^taM^  anti  9lt»bcnturc^ 

down.  This  day's  work  carried  us  about  half 
way  through  the  trunk;  and  the  next  morning 
we  renewed  the  attack,  continuing  it  till  about 
two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  when  the  tree 
fell  to  the  ground.  For  a  few  minutes  every- 
thing remained  quiet,  and  I  feared  that  all  our 
expectations  were  disappointed;  but  as  I 
advanced  to  the  opening  there  came  out,  to 
the  great  satisfaction  of  all  our  party,  a  bear 
of  extraordinary  size,  which,  before  she  had 
proceeded  many  yards,  I  shot. 

The  bear  being  dead,  all  my  assistants  ap- 
proached, and  all,  but  more  particularly  my 
old  mother  (as  I  was  wont  to  call  her),  took  her 
head  in  their  hands,  stroking  and  kissing  it 
several  times;  begging  a  thousand  pardons  for 
taking  away  her  hfe:  calling  her  their  relation 
and  grandmother;  and  requesting  her  not  to 
lay  the  fault  upon  them,  since  it  was  truly  an 
EngHshman  that  had  put  her  to  death. 

This  ceremony  was  not  of  long  duration; 
and  if  it  was  I  that  killed  their  grandmother 
they  were  not  themselves  behindhand  in  what 
remained  to  be  performed.  The  skin  being 
taken  off,  we  found  the  fat  in  several  places 
six  inches  deep.  This  being  divided  into  two 
parts,  loaded  two  persons;  and  the  flesh  parts 
were  as  much  as  four  persons  could  carry. 
In  all,  the  carcass  must  have  exceeded  five 
hundred-weight. 

As  soon  as  we  reached  the  lodge  the  bear's 
head  was  adorned  with  all  the  trinkets  in  the 

139 


^lerantier  l^cnrp 


possession  of  the  family,  such  as  silver  arm 
bands  and  wrist  bands,  and  belts  of  wampum; 
and  then  laid  upon  a  scaffold,  set  up  for  its 
reception  within  the  lodge.  Near  the  nose  was 
placed  a  large  quantity  of  tobacco. 

The  next  morning  no  sooner  appeared  than 
preparations  were  made  for  a  feast  to  the 
manes.  The  lodge  was  cleaned  and  swept;  and 
the  head  of  the  bear  lifted  up,  and  a  new  stroud 
blanket,  which  had  never  been  used  before, 
spread  under  it.  The  pipes  were  now  Ht;  and 
Wawatam  blew  tobacco  smoke  into  the  nos- 
trils of  the  bear,  telling  me  to  do  the  same,  and 
thus  appease  the  anger  of  the  bear  on  account 
of  my  having  killed  her.  I  endeavored  to 
persuade  my  benefactor  and  friendly  adviser 
that  she  no  longer  had  any  life,  and  assured 
him  that  I  was  under  no  apprehension  from 
her  displeasure;  but  the  first  proposition  ob- 
tained no  credit,  and  the  second  gave  but  little 
satisfaction. 

At  length  the  feast  being  ready,  Wawatam 
commenced  a  speech  resembling  in  many 
things  his  address  to  the  manes  of  his  relations 
and  departed  companions;  but  having  this 
peculiarity,  that  he  here  deplored  the  necessity 
under  which  men  labored  thus  to  destroy  their 
friends.  He  represented,  however,  that  the 
misfortune  was  unavoidable,  since  without 
doing  so,  they  could  by  no  means  subsist. 
The  speech  ended,  we  all  ate  heartily  of  the 
bear's  flesh;  and  even  the  head  itself,  after 
140 


€rabdi6f  anti  ^ttibcnturc^ef 

remaining  three  days  on  the  scaffold,  was  put 
into  the  kettle. 

It  is  only  the  female  bear  that  makes  her 
winter  lodging  in  the  upper  parts  of  trees,  a 
practice  by  which  her  young  are  secured  from 
the  attacks  of  wolves  and  other  animals.  She 
brings  forth  in  the  winter  season;  and  remains 
in  her  lodge  till  the  cubs  have  gained  some 
strength. 

The  male  always  lodges  in  the  ground  under 
the  roots  of  trees.  He  takes  to  this  habitation 
as  soon  as  the  snow  falls,  and  remains  there 
till  it  has  disappeared.  The  Indians  remark 
that  the  bear  comes  out  in  the  spring  with  the 
same  fat  which  he  carried  in  in  the  autumn; 
but  after  exercise  of  only  a  few  days,  becomes 
lean.  Excepting  for  a  short  part  of  the  season, 
the  male  lives  constantly  alone. 

The  fat  of  our  bear  was  melted  down,  and 
the  oil  filled  six  porcupine  skins."  A  part  of  the 
meat  was  cut  into  strips,  and  fire  dried,  after 
which  it  was  put  into  the  vessels  containing 
the  oil,  where  it  remained  in  perfect  preserva- 
tion until  the  middle  of  summer. 

February,  in  the  country  and  by  the  people 
where  and  among  whom  I  was,  is  called  the 
Moon  of  Hard,  or  Crusted  Snow;  for  now  the 
snow  can  bear  a  man,  or  at  least  dogs,  in 
pursuit  of  animals  of  the  chase.  At  this  season 
the  stag  is  very  successfully  hunted,  his  feet 

*^  The  animal  which,  in  America,  is  called  a  por- 
cupine, is  a  hedge-hog  or  urchin. — Author. 

141 


^Icrantier  i^cnrp 


breaking  through  at  every  step,  and  the  crust 
upon  the  snow  cutting  his  legs  with  its  sharp 
edges,  to  the  very  bone.  He  is  consequently, 
in  this  distress,  an  easy  prey;  and  it  frequently 
happened  that  we  killed  twelve  in  the  short 
space  of  two  hours.  By  this  means  we  were 
soon  put  into  possession  of  four  thousand 
weight  of  dried  venison,  which  was  to  be  car- 
ried on  our  backs,  along  with  all  the  rest  of  our 
wealth  for  seventy  miles,  the  distance  of 
our  encampment  from  that  part  of  the  lake 
shore  at  which  in  the  autumn  we  left  our 
canoes.  This  journey  it  was  our  next  business 
to  perform. 


142 


DEATH  OF  A  CHILD 

OUR  venison  and  furs  and  peltries  were  to 
be  disposed  of  at  Michilimackinac,  and 
it  was  now  the  season  for  carrying  them 
to  market.  The  women  therefore  prepared  our 
loads;  and  the  morning  of  departure  being 
come,  we  set  off  at  daybreak,  and  continued 
our  march  till  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon. 
Where  we  stopped  we  erected  a  scaffold  on 
which  we  deposited  the  bundles  we  had 
brought,  and  returned  to  our  encampment, 
which  we  reached  in  the  evening.  In  the 
morning  we  carried  fresh  loads,  which  being 
deposited  with  the  rest,  we  returned  a  second 
time  in  the  evening.  This  we  repeated  till  all 
was  forwarded  one  stage.  Then  removing  our 
lodge  to  the  place  of  deposit,  we  carried  our 
goods  with  the  same  patient  toil  a  second  stage; 
and  so  on,  till  we  were  at  no  great  distance  from 
the  shores  of  the  lake. 

Arrived  here,  we  turned  our  attention  to 
sugar  making,  the  management  of  which,  as 
I  have  before  related,  belongs  to  the  women, 
the  men  cutting  wood  for  the  fires,  and  hunting 
and  fishing.  In  the  midst  of  this  we  were 
joined  by  several  lodges  of  Indians,  most  of 
whom  were  of  the  family  to  which  I  belonged, 

143 


^lerantJcr  l^cnrp 


and  had  wintered  near  us.  The  lands  belonged 
to  this  family,  and  it  had  therefore  the  ex- 
clusive right  to  hunt  on  them.  This  is  accord- 
ing to  the  custom  of  the  people;  for  each 
family  has  its  own  lands.  I  was  treated  very 
civilly  by  all  the  lodges. 

Our  society  had  been  a  short  time  enlarged 
by  this  arrival  of  our  friends,  when  an  accident 
occurred  which  filled  all  the  village  with  anxiety 
and  sorrow.  A  little  child  belonging  to  one  of 
our  neighbors  fell  into  a  kettle  of  boiling  syrup. 
It  was  instantly  snatched  out,  but  with  little 
hope  of  its  recovery. 

So  long,  however,  as  it  lived  a  continual  feast 
was  observed ;  and  this  was  made  to  the  Great 
Spirit  and  Master  of  Life,  that  he  might  be 
pleased  to  save  and  heal  the  child.  At  this 
feast  I  was  a  constant  guest;  and  often  found 
difiiculty  in  eating  the  large  quantity  of  food, 
which  on  such  occasions  as  these  is  put  upon 
each  man's  dish.  The  Indians  accustom  them- 
selves both  to  eat  much  and  to  fast  much,  with 
facility. 

Several  sacrifices  were  also  offered;  among 
which  were  dogs,  killed  and  hung  upon  the 
tops  of  poles,  with  the  addition  of  stroud 
blankets  and  other  articles.  These,  also,  were 
given  to  the  Great  Spirit  in  humble  hope 
that  he  would  give  efl5cacy  to  the  medicines 
employed. 

.  The  child  died.  To  preserve  the  body  from 
the  wolves  it  was  placed  upon  a  scaffold,  where 

144 


€rabcljef  and  ^bbcnturci^ 

it  remained  till  we  went  to  the  lake,  on  the 
border  of  which  was  the  burial  ground  of  the 
family. 

On  our  arrival  there,  which  happened  in  the 
beginning  of  April,  I  did  not  fail  to  attend  the 
funeral.  The  grave  was  made  of  a  large  size, 
and  the  whole  of  the  inside  lined  with  birch 
bark.  On  the  bark  was  laid  the  body  of  the 
child,  accompanied  with  an  axe,  a  pair  of 
snowshoes,  a  small  kettle,  several  pairs  of 
common  shoes,  its  own  strings  of  beads,  and — 
because  it  was  a  girl — a  carrying-belt  and  a 
paddle.  The  kettle  was  filled  with  meat. 

All  this  was  again  covered  with  bark;  and 
at  about  two  feet  nearer  the  surface  logs  were 
laid  across,  and  these  again  covered  with  bark, 
so  that  the  earth  might  by  no  means  fall  upon 
the  corpse. 

The  last  act  before  the  burial,  performed  by 
the  mother  crying  over  the  dead  body  of  her 
child,  was  that  of  taking  from  it  a  lock  of  hair 
for  a  memorial.  While  she  did  this  I  endeav- 
ored to  console  her  by  offering  the  usual  ar- 
guments, that  the  child  was  happy  in  being 
released  from  the  miseries  of  this  present  Ufe, 
and  that  she  should  forbear  to  grieve,  because 
it  would  be  restored  to  her  in  another  world, 
happy  and  everlasting.  She  answered  that  she 
knew  it,  and  that  by  the.  lock  of  hair  she  should 
discover  her  daughter;  for  she  would  take  it 
with  her.  In  this  she  alluded  to  the  day  when 
some  pious  hand  would  place  in  her  own 

145, 


9llcranticr  l^curp 


grave,  along  with  the  carrying-belt  and  paddle, 
this  little  relic,  hallowed  by  maternal  tears. 

I  have  frequently  inquired  into  the  ideas  and 
opinions  of  the  Indians  in  regard  to  futurity, 
and  always  found  that  they  were  somewhat 
different  in  different  individuals. 

Some  suppose  their  souls  to  remain  in  this 
world,  although  invisible  to  human  eyes;  and 
capable,  themselves,  of  seeing  and  hearing 
their  friends,  and  also  of  assisting  them  in 
moments  of  distress  and  danger. 

Others  dismiss  from  the  mortal  scene  the 
unembodied  spirit,  and  send  it  to  a  distant 
world,  or  country,  in  which  it  receives  reward 
or  punishment,  according  to  the  hfe  which  it 
has  led  in  its  prior  state.  Those  who  have 
lived  virtuously  are  transported  into  a  place 
abounding  with  every  luxury,  with  deer  and  all 
other  animals  of  the  woods  and  water,  and 
where  the  earth  produces,  in  their  greatest 
perfection,  all  its  sweetest  fruits.  While,  on  the 
other  hand,  those  who  have  violated  or  neg- 
lected the  duties  of  this  hfe  are  removed  to 
a  barren  soil,  where  they  wander  up  and  down 
among  rocks  and  morasses,  and  are  stung  by 
gnats  as  large  as  pigeons. 


146 


Cl^apter  19 

RETXIRN  TO  MACKINAC 

WHILE  we  remained  on  the  border  of  the 
lake  a  watch  was  kept  every  night  in  the 
apprehension  of  a  speedy  attack  from 
the  English,  who  were  expected  to  avenge  the 
massacre  of  Michilimackinac.  The  immediate 
grounds  of  this  apprehension  were  the  constant 
dreams  to  this  effect  of  the  more  aged  women. 
I  endeavored  to  persuade  them  that  nothing 
of  the  kind  would  take  place;  but  their  fears 
were  not  to  be  subdued. 

Amid  these  alarms  there  came  a  report  con- 
cerning a  real,  though  less  formidable  enemy, 
discovered  in  our  neighborhood.  This  was  a 
panther  which  one  of  our  young  men  had  seen 
and  which  animal  sometimes  attacks  and 
carries  away  the  Indian  children.  Our  camp 
was  immediately  on  the  alert,  and  we  set  off 
into  the  woods,  about  twenty  in  number.  We 
had  not  proceeded  more  than  a  mile  before 
the  dogs  found  the  panther,  and  pursued  him 
to  a  tree,  on  which  he  was  shot.  He  was  of  a 
large  size. 

On  the  twenty-fifth  of  April  we  embarked 
for  Michilimackinac.  At  La  Grande  Traverse" 
we  met  a  large  party  of  Indians  who  appeared 
"  Modern  Grand  Traverse  Bay. — Editor. 

147 


^kjcanticr  J^cnrp 


to  labor,  like  ourselves,  under  considerable 
alarm;  and  who  dared  proceed  no  farther,  lest 
they  should  be  destroyed  by  the  English. 
Frequent  councils  of  the  united  bands  were 
held;  and  interrogations  were  continually  put 
to  myself  as  to  whether  or  not  I  knew  of  any 
design  to  attack  them.  I  found  that  they  be- 
lieved it  possible  for  me  to  have  a  foreknowl- 
edge of  events,  and  to  be  informed  by  dreams 
of  all  things  doing  at  a  distance. 

Protestations  of  my  ignorance  were  received 
with  but  little  satisfaction,  and  incurred  the 
suspicion  of  a  design  to  conceal  my  knowledge. 
On  this  account  therefore,  or  because  I  saw 
them  tormented  with  fears  which  had  nothing 
but  imagination  to  rest  upon,  I  told  them  at 
length  that  I  knew  there  was  no  enemy  to 
insult  them;  and  that  they  might  proceed 
to  Michilimackinac  without  danger  from  the 
English.  I  further,  and  with  more  confidence, 
declared  that  if  ever  my  countrymen  returned 
to  Michilimackinac  I  would  recommend 'them 
to  their  favor  on  account  of  the  good  treatment 
which  I  had  received  from  them.  Thus  en- 
couraged they  embarked  at  an  early  hour  the 
next  morning.  In  crossing  the  bay  we  ex- 
perienced a  storm  of  thunder  and  lightning. 

Our  port  was  the  village  of  L'Arbre  Croche, 
which  we  reached  in  safety,  and  where  we 
stayed  till  the  following  day.  At  this  village 
we  found  several  persons  who  had  been  lately 
at  MichiHmackinac,  and  from  them  we  had 
148 


the  satisfaction  of  learning  that  all  was  quiet 
there.  The  remainder  of  our  voyage  was  there- 
fore performed  with  confidence. 

In  the  evening  of  the  twenty-seventh  we 
landed  at  the  fort,  which  now  contained  only 
two  French  traders.  The  Indians  who  had 
arrived  before  us  were  very  few  in  number;  and 
by  all  who  were  of  our  party  I  was  used  very 
kindly.  I  had  the  entire  freedom  both  of  the 
fort  and  camp. 

Wawatam  and  myself  settled  our  stock  and 
paid  our  debts;  and  this  done,  I  found  that  my 
share  of  what  was  left  consisted  in  a  hundred 
beaver  skins,  sixty  raccoon  skins,  and  six  otter, 
of  the  total  value  of  about  one  hundred  and 
sixty  dollars.  With  these  earnings  of  my 
winter's  toil  I  proposed  to  purchase  some 
clothes  of  which  I  was  much  in  need,  having 
been  six  months  without  a  shirt;  but  on  in- 
quiring into  the  prices  of  goods  I  found  that 
all  my  funds  would  not  go  far.  I  was  able, 
however,  to  buy  two  shirts  at  ten  pounds  of 
beaver  each;  a  pair  of  leggings,  or  pantaloons, 
of  scarlet  cloth,  which  with  the  ribbon  to 
garnish  them  fashionably,  cost  me  fifteen 
pounds  of  beaver;  a  blanket,  at  twenty  pounds 
of  beaver;  and  some  other  articles  at  propor- 
tionable rates.  In  this  manner  my  wealth 
was  soon  reduced;  but  not  before  I  had  laid  in  a 
good  stock  of  ammunition  and  tobacco.  To 
the  use  of  the  latter  I  had  become  much  at- 
tached during  the  winter.  It  was  my  principal 
149 


^lerantia:  ipetirp 


recreation  after  returning  from  the  chase;  for 
my  companions  in  the  lodge  were  unaccustomed 
to  pass  the  time  in  conversation.  Among  the 
Indians  the  topics  of  conversation  are  but  few, 
and  Hmited  for  the  most  part  to  the  transac- 
tions of  the  day,  the  number  of  animals  which 
they  have  killed,  and  of  those  which  have 
escaped  their  pursuit;  and  other  incidents  of 
the  chase.  Indeed,  the  causes  of  taciturnity 
among  the  Indians  may  be  easily  understood 
if  we  consider  how  many  occasions  of  speech, 
which  present  themselves  to  us,  are  utterly 
unknown  to  them;  the  records  of  history,  the 
pursuits  of  science,  the  disquisitions  of  phil- 
osophy, the  systems  of  poUtics,  the  business 
and  tlae  amusements  of  the  day,  and  the  trans- 
actions of  the  four  corners  of  the  world. 

Eight  days  had  passed  in  tranquillity  when 
there  arrived  a  band  of  Indians  from  the  Bay 
of  Saguenaum.*^  They  had  assisted  at  the 
siege  of  Detroit,  and  came  to  muster  as  many 
recruits  for  that  service  as  they  could.  For 
my  own  part,  I  was  soon  informed  that  as  I 
was  the  only  Englishman  in  the  place  they 
proposed  to  kill  me  in  order  to  give  their 
friends  a  mess  of  EngUsh  broth  to  raise  their 
courage. 

This  intelligence  was  not  of  the  most  agree- 
able kind;  and  in  consequence  of  receiving  it, 
I  requested  my  friend  to  carry  me  to  the  Sault 
de  Ste.   Marie,  at  which  place  I  knew  the 

**  Modern  Saginaw  Bay. — Editor. 

150 


€rabd^  and  ^tibcnturc^ 

Indians  to  be  peaceably  inclined,  and  that 
M.  Cadotte  enjoyed  a  powerful  influence  over 
their  conduct.  They  considered  M.  Cadotte 
as  their  chief;  and  he  was  not  only  my  friend, 
but  a  friend  to  the  English.  It  was  by  him 
that  the  Chipewa  of  Lake  Superior  were 
prevented  from  joining  Pontiac. 

Wawatam  was  not  slow  to  exert  himself  for 
my  preservation ;  but,  leaving  Michilimackinac 
in  the  night,  transported  myself  and  all  his 
lodge  to  Point  St.  Ignace,  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  strait.  Here  we  remained  till  day- 
light, and  then  went  into  the  Bay  of  Bout- 
chitaouy,  in  which  we  spent  three  days  in 
fishing  and  hunting,  and  where  we  found 
plenty  of  wild  fowl.  Leaving  the  bay  we  made 
for  the  Isle  aux  Outardes,  where  we  were 
obliged  to  put  in  on  account  of  the  wind's 
coming  ahead.  We  proposed  sailing  for  the 
Sault  the  next  morning. 

But  when  the  morning  came  Wawatam's 
wife  complained  that  she  was  sick,  adding  that 
she  had  had  bad  dreams,  and  knew  that  if  we 
went  to  the  Sault  we  should  all  be  destroyed. 
To  have  argued  at  this  time  against  the  in- 
fallibility of  dreams  would  have  been  extremely 
inadvisable,  since  I  should  have  appeared  to 
be  guilty,  not  only  of  an  odious  want  of  faith 
but  also  of  a  still  more  odious  want  of  sensi- 
bility to  the  possible  calamities  of  a  family 
which  had  done  so  much  for  the  alleviation  of 
mine.    I  was  silent;  but  the  disappointment 

151 


^icjcantJcr  l^cnrp 


seemed  to  seal  my  fate.  No  prospect  opened 
to  console  me.  To  return  to  Michilimackinac 
could  only  ensure  my  destruction;  and  to 
remain  at  the  island  was  to  brave  almost  equal 
danger,  since  it  Idy  in  the  direct  route  between 
the  fort  and  the  Missisaki,  along  which  the 
Indians  from  Detroit  were  hourly  expected  to  _ 
pass  on  the  business  of  their  mission.  I 
doubted  not  but,  taking  advantage  of  the 
solitary  situation  of  the  family,  they  would 
carry  into  execution  their  design  of  killing  me. 


IS2 


Cl^apter  20 

FLIGHT  TO  THE  SAULT 

UNABLE,  therefore,  to  take  any  part  in 
the  direction  of  our  course,  but  a  prey 
at  the  same  time  to  the  most  anxious 
thoughts  as  to  my  own  condition,  I  passed  all 
the  day  on  the  highest  part,  to  which  I  could 
climb,  of  a  tall  tree,  and  whence  the  lake  on 
both  sides  of  the  island  lay  open  to  my  view. 
Here  I  might  hope  to  learn  at  the  earliest  pos- 
sible moment  the  approach  of  canoes,  and  by  this 
means  be  warned  in  time  to  conceal  myself. 

On  the  second  morning  I  returned  as  soon 
as  it  was  light  to  my  watch-tower,  on  which  I 
had  not  been  long  before  I  discovered  a  sail 
coming  from  Michilimackinac. 

The  sail  was  a  white  one,  and  much  larger 
than  those  usually  employed  by  the  northern 
Indians.  I  therefore  indulged  a  hope  that  it 
might  be  a  Canadian  canoe,  on  its  voyage  to 
Montreal;  and  that  I  might  be  able  to  prevail 
upon  the  crew  to  take  me  with  them  and  thus 
release  me  from  all  my  troubles. 

My  hopes  continued  to  gain  strength;  for 
I  soon  persuaded  myself  that  the  manner  in 
which  the  paddles  were  used  on  board  the 
canoe  was  Canadian,  and  not  Indian.  My 
spirits  were  elated;  but  disappointment  had 

I  S3 


aiejranticr  l^enrp 


become  so  usual  with  me  that  I  could  not  suffer 
myself  to  look  to  the  event  with  any  strength 
of  confidence. 

Enough,  however,  appeared  at  length  to 
demonstrate  itself  to  induce  me  to  descend 
the  tree  and  repair  to  the  lodge,  with  my  tidings 
and  schemes  of  liberty.  The  family  congrat- 
ulated me  on  the  approach  of  so  fair  an  oppor- 
tunity of  escape;  and  my  father  and  brother 
(for  he  was  alternately  each  of  these)  lit  his 
pipe  and  presented  it  to  me  saying,  "My  son, 
this  may  be  the  fast  time  that  ever  you  and  I 
shall  smoke  out  of  the  same  pipe!  I  am  sorry 
to  part  with  you.  You  know  the  affection  which 
I  always  have  borne  you,  and  the  dangers  to 
which  I  have  exposed  myself  and  family 
to  preserve  you  from  your  enemies;  and  I  am 
happy  to  find  that  my  efforts  promise  not  to 
have  been  in  vain. "  At  this  time  a  boy  came 
into  the  lodge,  informing  us  that  the  canoe  had 
come  from  Michilimackinac  and  was  bound  to 
the  Sault  de  Ste.  Marie.  It  was  manned  by 
three  Canadians,  and  was  carrying  home 
Madame  Cadotte,  the  wife  of  M.  Cadotte 
already  mentioned. 

My  hopes  of  going  to  Montreal  being  now 
dissipated,  I  resolved  on  accompanying  Ma- 
dame Cadotte,  with  her  permission,  to  the  Sault. 
On  communicating  my  wishes  to  Madame  Ca- 
dotte, she  cheerfully  acceded  to  them.  Ma- 
dame Cadotte,  as  I  have  already  mentioned, 
was    an    Indian    woman    of    the    Chippewa 

154 


nation;  and  she  was  very  generally  respected. 

My  departure  fixed  upon,  I  returned  to  the 
lodge,  where  I  packed  up  my  wardrobe,  con- 
sisting of  my  two  shirts,  pair  of  leggings,  and 
blanket.  Besides  these  I  took  a  gun  and  am- 
munition, presenting  what  remained  further 
to  my  host.  I  also  returned  the  silver  arm- 
bands with  which  the  family  had  decorated  me 
the  year  before. 

We  now  exchanged  farewells,  with  an  emo- 
tion entirely  reciprocal.  I  did  not  quit  the 
lodge  without  the  most  grateful  sense  of  the 
many  acts  of  goodness  which  I  had  experienced 
in  it,  nor  without  the  sincerest  respect  for  the 
virtues  which  I  had  witnessed  among  its 
members.  All  the  family  accompanied  me  to 
the  beach ;  and  the  canoe  had  no  sooner  put  off, 
than  Wawatam  commenced  an  address  to  the 
Kichi  Manito,  beseeching  him  to  take  care 
of  me,  his  brother,  till  we  should  next  meet. 
This,  he  had  told  me,  would  not  be  long,  as  he 
intended  to  return  to  MichiUmackinac  for  a 
short  time  only,  and  would  then  follow  me  to 
the  Sault.  We  had  proceeded  to  too  great  a 
distance  to  allow  of  our  hearing  his  voice, 
before  Wawatam  had  ceased  to  offer  up  his 
prayers.^^ 

"  Thus  appropriately  Wawatam  disappears  alike 
from  Henry's  tale  and  from  recorded  history.  Some 
fifty  years  later  Henry  R.  Schoolcraft  sought  diligently 
to  discover  trace  of  him  or  of  his  family,  but  in  vain. 
H.  Bedford-Jones,  whose  criticisms  of  Henry's  narra- 
tive have  been  noted  in  our  introduction,  advances  the 


^llcranbcr  l^enrp 


Being  now  no  longer  in  the  society  of  Indians 
I  laid  aside  the  dress,  putting  on  that  of  a 
Canadian;  a  molton,  or  blanket  coat,  over  my 
shirt,  and  a  handkerchief  about  my  head,  hats 
being  very  little  worn  in  this  country. 

At  daybreak  on  the  second  morning  of  our 
voyage  we  embarked,  and  presently  perceived 
several  canoes  behind  us.  As  they  approached, 
we  ascertained  them  to  be  the  fleet  bound  for 
the  Missisaki,  of  which  I  had  been  so  long  in 
dread.  It  amounted  to  twenty  sail. 

On  coming  up  with  us  and  surrounding  our 
canoe,  and  amid  general  inquiries  concerning 
the  news,  an  Indian  challenged  me  for  an 
Englishman  and  his  companions  supported 
him  by  declaring  that  I  looked  very  like  one; 
but  I  affected  not  to  understand  any  of  the 
questions  which  they  asked  me,  and  Madame 
Cadotte  assured  them  that  I  was  a  Canadian 
whom  she  had  brought  on  his  first  voyage  from 
Montreal. 

The  following  day  saw  us  safely  landed  at 
the  Sault,  where  I  experienced  a  generous 
welcome  from  M.  Cadotte.  There  were  thirty 
warriors  at  this  place,  restrained  from  joining 
in  the  war  only  by  M.  Cadotte's  influence. 

Here  for  five  days  I  was  once  more  in 
possession  of  tranquillity;  but  on  the  sixth  a 
young  Indian  came  into  M.  Cadotte's  saying 
that  a  canoe  full  of  warriors  had  just  arrived 

opinion  that  Wawatam,  like  ]\Iinavavana,  was  but  a 
"creation  of  [Henry's]  fancy." — Editor. 


IS6 


€rabfl^  and  ^LDbenturc^tf 

from  Michilimackinac ;  that  they  had  inquired 
for  me;  and  that  he  believed  their  intentions 
to  be  bad.  Nearly  at  the  same  time  a  message 
came  from  the  good  chief  of  the  village  desiring 
me  to  conceal  myself  until  he  should  discover 
the  views  and  temper  of  the  strangers. 

A  garret  was  a  second  time  my  place  of 
refuge;  and  it  was  not  long  before  the  Indians 
came  to  M.  Cadotte's.  My  friend  immediately 
informed  Mutchikiwish,^^  their  chief,  who  was 
related  to  his  wife,  of  the  design  imputed  to 
them  of  mischief  against  myself.  Mutchiki- 
wish  frankly  acknowledged  that  they  had  had 
such  a  design;  but  added  that  if  displeasing 
to  M.  Cadotte,  it  should  be  abandoned.  He 
then  further  stated  that  their  errand  was  to 
raise  a  party  of  warriors  to  return  with  them  to 

*^  Mutchikiwish,  or  Matchekewis,  was  the  chief  who 
had  led  the  braves  in  the  massacre  of  June  2.  In  1866 
Chief  Alexander  Robinson  of  Chicago  gave  Lyman 
Draper  this  account  of  Chief  Matchekewis:  He  was  a 
Chippewa,  and  lived  at  a  place  near  Mackinac,  called 
Cheboygan.  He  took  Mackinac  Fort  in  Pontiac's  War, 
and  when  the  British  reoccupied  that  post  Matchekewis 
and  two  or  three  other  ringleaders  in  that  attack  were 
taken,  sent  to  Quebec,  and  imprisoned  awhile.  But 
the  British  authorities  at  length  released  Matchekewis, 
as  well  as  the  others,  gave  him  a  medal,  flag,  and  other 
presents,  and  he  returned  home  with  increased  honors. 
He  was  with  the  Indians  at  the  battle  of  Fallen  Tim- 
bers in  1794  and  signed  Wayne's  treaty  the  following 
year.  He  was  a  large,  tall  chief,  and  weighed  over  two 
hundred  pounds;  and  was  a  man  of  great  distinction 
among  his  people.  He  died  about  1806,  quite  aged, 
perhaps  about  seventy. — Wis.  Hist.  Colls. ,yil,  189—90. 

IS7 


^leranticr  l^enrp 


Detroit;  and  that  it  had  been  their  intention 
to  take  me  with  them. 

In  regard  to  the  principal  of  the  two  objects 
thus  disclosed,  M.  Cadotte  proceeded  to  as- 
semble all  the  chiefs  and  warriors  of  the  vil- 
lage; and  these,  after  deliberating  for  some 
time  among  themselves,  sent  for  the  strangers, 
to  whom  both  M.  Cadotte  and  the  chief  of  the 
village  addressed  a  speech.  In  these  speeches, 
after  recurring  to  the  designs  confessed  to  have 
been  entertained  against  myself,  who  was  now 
declared  to  be  under  the  immediate  protection 
of  all  the  chiefs,  by  whom  any  insult  I  might 
sustain  would  be  avenged,  the  ambassadors 
were  peremptorily  told  that  they  might  go 
back  as  they  came,  none  of  the  young  men  of 
this  village  being  foolish  enough  to  join  them. 

A  moment  after,  a  report  was  brought  that  a 
canoe  had  just  arrived  from  Niagara.  As  this 
was  a  place  from  which  everyone  was  anxious 
to  hear  news,  a  message  was  sent  to  these  fresh 
strangers  requesting  them  to  come  to  the 
council. 

The  strangers  came  accordingly,  and  being 
seated,  a  long  silence  ensued.  At  length  one  of 
them,  taking  up  a  belt  of  wampum,  addressed 
himself  thus  to  the  assembly: 

"My  friends  and  brothers,  I  am  come,  with 
this  belt,  from  our  great  father.  Sir  WiUiam 
Johnson.^^   He  desired  me  to  come  to  you  as 

**  Sir  William  Johnson  was  a  native  of  Ireland  (born 
1715)  who  came  to  America  at  an  early  age.  Settling  in 

158 


€ratjdj6f  anD  ^DbcnturciBf 

his  ambassador,  and  tell  you  that  he  is  making 
a  great  feast  at  Fort  Niagara;  that  his  kettles 
are  all  ready,  and  his  fires  Ut.  He  invites  you 
to  partake  of  the  feast,  in  common  with  your 
friends,  the  Six  Nations,  which  have  all  made 
peace  with  the  English.  He  advises  you  to 
seize  this  opportunity  of  doing  the  same,  as  you 
cannot  otherwise  fail  of  being  destroyed;  for 
the  English  are  on  their  march  with  a  great 
army,  which  will  be  joined  by  different  nations 
•of  Indians.  In  a  word,  before  the  fall  of  the 
leaf  they  will  be  at  Michilimackinac,  and  the 
Six  Nations  ^^  with  them. " 

The  tenor  of  this  speech  greatly  alarmed  the 
Indians  of  the  Sault,  who  after  a  very  short 
consultation  agreed  to  send  twenty  deputies 
to  Sir  William  Johnson  at  Niagara.  This  was 
a  project  highly  interesting  to  me,  since  it 
ofifered  me  the  means  of  leaving  the  country. 
I  intimated  this  to  the  chief  of  the  village,  and 

the  Mohawk  Valley,  he  was  adopted  by  the  Iroquois, 
over  whom  he  acquired  great  influence,  becoming  the 
most  noted  and  successful  Indian  agent  in  British 
America.  Johnson  played  an  active  and  notable  part  in 
the  Seven  Years'  War,  and  in  1761,  upon  the  fall  of 
Montreal,  journeyed  to  Detroit  to  reconcile  the  western 
tribesmen  to  the  British  cause.  It  was  from  this  coun- 
cil that  the  troops  were  sent  out  to  garrison  Mackinac 
and  the  other  posts  around  the  Lakes.  Johnson  died  at 
his  home,  "Johnson  Hall,"  in  1774. — Editor. 

*'  These  were  the  confederated  tribes  of  the  Iroquois, 
ancient  and  inveterate  enemies  of  the  Chippewa. — 
Editor. 

159 


^Icjcantier  i^cnrp 


received  his  promise  that  I  should  accompany 
the  deputation. 

Very  little  time  was  proposed  to  be  lost  in 
setting  forward  on  the  voyage;  but  the  occa- 
sion was  of  too  much  magnitude  not  to  call 
for  more  than  human  knowledge  and  dis- 
cretion; and  preparations  were  accordingly 
made  for  solemnly  invoking  and  consulting  the 
Great  TurtleJ" 

'"  The  Great  Turtle  was  the  chief  among  the  guardian 
spirits  of  the  Chippewa. — Editor. 


1 60 


Cl^apter  21 

INVOKING  THE  GREAT  TURTLE 

FOR  invoking  and  consulting  the  Great 
Turtle  the  first  thing  to  be  done  was  the 
building  of  a  large  house  or  wigwam,  within 
which  was  placed  a  species  of  tent  for  the  use 
of  the  priest  and  reception  of  the  spirit.  The 
tent  was  formed  of  moose-skins,  hung  over  a 
framework  of  wood.  Five  poles,  or  rather 
pillars,  of  five  different  species  of  timber, 
about  ten  feet  in  height  and  eight  inches  in 
diameter  were  set  in  a  circle  of  about  four  feet 
in  diameter.  The  holes  made  to  receive  them 
were  about  two  feet  deep;  and  the  pillars  being 
set,  the  holes  were  filled  up  again,  with  the 
earth  which  had  been  dug  out.  At  top  the 
pillars  were  bound  together  by  a  circular  hoop, 
or  girder.  Over  the  whole  of  this  edifice  were 
spread  the  moose-skins,  covering  it  at  top  and 
round  the  sides,  and  made  fast  with  thongs  of 
the  same;  except  that  on  one  side  a  part  was 
left  unfastened,  to  admit  of  the  entrance  of  the 
priest. 

The  ceremonies  did  not  commence  but  with 
the  approach  of  night.  To  give  light  within  the 
house  several  fires  were  kindled  round  the 
tent.  Nearly  the  whole  village  assembled  in 
the  house,  and  myself  among  the  rest.  It  was 
i6i 


^Icjcanticr  J^enrp 


not  long  before  the  pnest  appeared  almost  in  a 
state  of  nakedness.  As  he  approached  the  tent 
the  skins  were  lifted  up  as  much  as  was  neces- 
sary to  allow  of  his  creeping  under  them  on 
his  hands  and  knees.  His  head  was  scarcely 
within  side  when  the  edifice,  massy  as  it  has 
been  described,  began  to  shake;  and  the  skins 
were  no  sooner  let  fall  than  the  sounds  of 
numerous  voices  were  heard  beneath  them, 
some  yelling,  some  barking  as  dogs,  some 
howling  like  wolves;  and  in  this  horrible  concert 
were  mingled  screams  and  sobs,  as  of  despair, 
anguish,  and  the  sharpest  pain.  Articulate 
speech  was  also  uttered,  as  if  from  human  lips; 
but  in  a  tongue  unknown  to  any  of  the 
audience. 

After  some  time  these  confused  and  frightful 
noises  were  succeeded  by  a  perfect  silence; 
and  now  a  voice  not  heard  before  seemed  to 
manifest  the  arrival  of  a  new  character  in  the 
tent.  This  was  a  low  and  feeble  voice,  resem- 
bhng  the  cry  of  a  young  puppy.  The  sound 
was  no  sooner  distinguished,  than  all  the 
Indians  clapped  their  hands  for  joy,  exclaiming 
that  this  was  the  Chief  Spirit,  the  Turtle,  the 
spirit  that  never  lied.  Other  voices  which  they 
had  discriminated  from  time  to  time  they  had 
previously  hissed,  as  recognizing  them  to 
belong  to  evil  and  lying  spirits,  which  deceive 
mankind. 

New  sounds  came  from  the  tent.  During 
the  space  of  half  an  hour,  a  succession  of  songs 

162 


were  heard,  in  which  a  diversity  of  voices  met 
the  ear.  From  his  first  entrance  till  these  songs 
were  finished  we  heard  nothing  in  the  proper 
voice  of  the  priest;  but  now  he  addressed 
the  multitude,  declaring  the  presence  of  the 
Great  Turtle  and  the  spirit's  readiness  to  an- 
swer such  questions  as  should  be  proposed. 

The  questions  were  to  come  from  the  chief 
of  the  village,  who  was  silent,  however,  till 
after  he  had  put  a  large  quantity  of  tobacco 
into  the  tent,  introducing  it  at  the  aperture. 
This  was  a  sacrifice,  offered  to  the  spirit;  for 
spirits  are  supposed  by  the  Indians  to  be  as 
fond  of  tobacco  as  themselves.  The  tobacco 
accepted,  he  desired  the  priest  to  inquire 
whether  or  not  the  English  were  preparing  to 
make  war  upon  the  Indians  ?  and  whether  or 
not  there  were  at  Fort  Niagara  a  large  number 
of  English  troops  ? 

These  questions  having  been  put  by  the 
priest,  the  tent  instantly  shook;  and  for  some 
seconds  after  it  continued  to  rock  so  violently 
that  I  expected  to  see  it  levelled  with  the 
ground.  All  this  was  a  prelude,  as  I  supposed, 
to  the  answers  to  be  given;  but  a  terrific  cry 
announced,  with  suflScient  intelligibility,  the 
departure  of  the  Turtle. 

A  quarter  of  an  hour  elapsed  in  silence,  and 
I  waited  impatiently  to  discover  what  was  to 
be  the  next  incident  in  this  scene  of  imposture. 
It  consisted  in  the  return  of  the  spirit,  whose 
voice  was  again  heard,  and  who  now  delivered 
163 


^lleranticr  i^cnrp 


a  continued  speech.  The  language  of  the  Great 
Turtle,  Uke  that  which  we  had  heard  before, 
was  wholly  unintelligible  to  every  ear,  that  of 
his  priest  excepted;  and  it  was,  therefore,  that 
not  till  the  latter  gave  us  an  interpretation, 
which  did  not  commence  before  the  spirit  had 
finished,  that  we  learned  the  purport  of  this 
extraordinary  communication. 

The  spirit,  as  we  were  now  informed  by  the 
priest,  had  during  his  short  absence  crossed 
Lake  Huron  and  even  proceeded  as  far  as 
Fort  Niagara,  which  is  at  the  head  of  Lake 
Ontario,  and  thence  to  Montreal.  At  Fort 
Niagara  he  had  seen  no  great  number  of 
soldiers;  but  on  descending  the  St.  Lawrence  as 
low  as  Montreal,  he  had  found  the  river 
covered  with  boats  and  the  boats  filled  with 
soldiers,  in  number  hke  the  leaves  of  the  trees. 
He  had  met  them  on  their  way  up  the  river, 
coming  to  make  war  upon  the  Indians. 

The  chief  had  a  third  question  to  propose, 
and  the  spirit,  without  a  fresh  journey  to  Fort 
Niagara,  was  able  to  give  it  an  instant  and 
most  favorable  answer:  "If,"  said  the  chief, 
"the  Indians  visit  Sir  William  Johnson,  will 
they  be  received  as  friends?" 

"Sir  William  Johnson,"  said  the  spirit 
(and  after  the  spirit,  the  priest)  "Sir  WiUiam 
Johnson  will  fill  their  canoes  with  presents; 
with  blankets,  kettles,  guns,  gunpowder  and 
shot,  and  large  barrels  of  rum  such  as  the 
stoutest  of  the  Indians  will  not  be  able  to  lift; 

i6i4 


€rabcl^  anD  ^tibcnture^ 

and  every  man  will  return  in  safety  to  his 
family. " 

At  this  the  transport  was  universal;  and 
amid  the  clapping  of  hands,  a  hundred  voices 
exclaimed,  "I  will  go,  too!  I  will  go,  too!" 

The  question  of  public  interest  being  re- 
solved, individuals  were  now  permitted  to 
seize  the  opportunity  of  inquiring  into  the 
condition  of  their  absent  friends,  and  the  fate 
of  such  as  were  sick.  I  observed  that  the 
answers  given  to  these  questions  allowed  of 
much  latitude  of  interpretation. 

Amid  this  general  inquisitiveness  I  yielded 
to  the  solicitations  of  my  own  anxiety  for  the 
future,  and  having  first,  like  the  rest,  made 
my  offering  of  tobacco,  I  inquired,  whether  or 
not  I  should  ever  revisit  my  native  country. 
The  question  being  put  by  the  priest,  the  tent 
shook  as  usual;  after  which  I  received  this 
answer:  That  I  should  take  courage  and 
fear  no  danger,  for  that  nothing  would  happen 
to  hurt  me;  and  that  I  should  in  the  end  reach 
my  friends  and  country  in  safety.  These 
assurances  wrought  so  strongly  on  my  gratitude 
that  I  presented  an  additional  and  extra 
offering  of  tobacco. 

The  Great  Turtle  continued  to  be  consulted 
till  nearly  midnight,  when  all  the  crowd  dis- 
persed to  their  respective  lodges.  I  was  on  the 
watch  through  the  scene  I  have  described  to 
detect  the  particular  contrivances  by  which 
the  fraud  was  carried  on;  but  such  was  the  skill 

i6s 


^icranticr  ]^cnrp 


displayed  in  the  performance,  or  such  my  de- 
ficiency of  penetration,  that  I  made  no  dis- 
coveries, but  came  away  as  I  went,  with  no 
more  than  those  general  surmises  which  will 
naturally  be  entertained  by  every  readerJ^ 

On  the  tenth  of  June  I  embarked  with  the 
Indian  deputation,  composed  of  sixteen  men. 
Twenty  had  been  the  number  originally  de- 
signed; and  upwards  of  fifty  actually  engaged 
themselves  to  the  council  for  the  undertaking, 
to  say  nothing  of  the  general  enthusiasm  at 
the  moment  of  hearing  the  Great  Turtle's 
promises.  But  exclusively  of  the  degree  of 
timidity  which  still  prevailed,  we  are  to  take 
into  account  the  various  domestic  calls,  which 
might  supersede  all  others,  and  detain  many 
with  their  families. 

"  M.  de  Champlain  has  left  an  account  of  an  exhibi- 
tion of  the  nature  here  described,  which  may  be  seen  in 
Charlevoix's  Histoire  el  Description  Generale  de  la 
Nouvelle  France,  Livre  W .  This  took  place  in  the  year 
1609,  and  was  performed  among  a  party  of  warriors 
composed  of  -Algonquin,  ^Montagnez,  and  Hurons. 
Carver  witnessed  another  among  the  Cristinaux.  In 
each  case  the  details  are  somewhat  different,  but  the 
outline  is  the  same.  M.  de  Champlain  mentions  that 
he  saw  the  jongleur  shake  the  stakes  or  pillars  of  the 
tent.  I  was  not  so  fortunate;  but  this  is  the  obvious 
e.xplanation  of  that  part  of  the  mystery  to  which  it 
refers.  Captain  Carver  leaves  the  whole  in  darkness. 
— Author. 


166 


VOYAGE  TO  FORT  NIAGARA 

IN  the  evening  of  the  second  day  of  our 
voyage  we  reached  the  mouth  of  the  Missi- 
saki,  where  we  found  about  forty  Indians, 
by  whom  we  were  received  with  abundant 
kindness,  and  at  night  regaled  at  a  great  feast, 
held  on  account  of  our  arrival.  The  viand  was 
a  preparation  of  the  roe  of  the  sturgeon,  beat  up 
and  boiled,  and  of  the  consistence  of  porridge. 

After  eating,  several  speeches  were  made  to 
us,  of  which  the  general  topic  was  a  request 
that  we  should  recommend  the  village  to  Sir 
William  Johnson.  This  request  was  also  spe- 
cially addressed  to  me,  and  I  promised  to 
comply  with  it. 

On  the  fourteenth  of  June  we  passed  the 
village  of  La  Cloche,  of  which  the  greater  part 
of  the  inhabitants  were  absent,  being  already 
on  a  visit  to  Sir  WilUam  Johnson.  This  cir- 
cumstance greatly  encouraged  the  companions 
of  my  voyage,  who  now  saw  that  they  were 
not  the  first  to  run  into  danger. 

The  next  day  about  noon,  the  wind  blowing 
very  hard,  we  were  obliged  to  put  ashore  at 
Point  aux  Grondines,  a  place  of  which  some 
description  has  been  given  above.^*    While 

"  See  ante,  p.  2,3. — Editor. 
167 


^llcxanticr  I^cnrp 


the  Indians  erected  a  hut,  I  employed  myself 
in  making  a  fire.  As  I  was  gathering  wood, 
an  unusual  sound  fixed  my  attention  for  a 
moment;  but  as  it  presently  ceased,  and  as  I 
saw  nothing  from  which  I  could  suppose  it  to 
proceed,  I  continued  my  employment,  till, 
advancing  farther,  I  was  alarmed  by  a  repeti- 
tion. I  imagined  that  it  came  from  above 
my  head;  but  after  looking  that  way  in  vain,  I 
cast  my  eyes  on  the  ground  and  there  dis- 
covered a  rattlesnake,  at  not  more  than  two 
feet  from  my  naked  legs.  The  reptile  was 
coiled,  and  its  head  raised  considerably  above 
its  body.  Had  I  advanced  another  step  before 
my  discovery  I  must  have  trodden  upon  it. 

I  no  sooner  saw  the  snake  than  I  hastened 
to  the  canoe,  in  order  to  procure  my  gun;  but 
the  Indians,  observing  what  I  was  doing,  in- 
quired the  occasion,  and  being  informed, 
begged  me  to  desist.  At  the  same  time  they 
followed  me  to  the  spot,  with  their  pipes  and 
tobacco-pouches  in  their  hands.  On  returning, 
I  found  the  snake  still  coiled. 

The  Indians  on  their  part  surrounded  it,  all 
addressing  it  by  turns,  and  calling  it  their 
grandfather;  but  yet  keeping  at  some  distance. 
During  this  part  of  the  ceremony  they  filled 
their  pipes;  and  now  each  blew  the  smoke 
toward  the  snake,  who,  as  it  appeared  to  me, 
really  received  it  with  pleasure.  In  a  word, 
after  remaining  coiled  and  receiving  incense 
for  the  space  of  half  an  hour,  it  stretched  itself 

i6S 


along  the  ground  in  visible  good  humor.  Its 
length  was  between  four  and  five  feet.  Having 
remained  outstretched  for  some  time,  at  last 
it  moved  slowly  away,  the  Indians  following  it 
and  still  addressing  it  by  the  title  of  grand- 
father, beseeching  it  to  take  care  of  their 
famiHes  during  their  absence,  and  to  be  pleased 
to  open  the  heart  of  Sir  William  Johnson  so 
that  he  might  show  them  charity  and  fill  their 
canoe  with  rum. 

One  of  the  chiefs  added  a  petition  that  the 
snake  would  take  no  notice  of  the  insult  which 
had  been  offered  him  by  the  Englishman,  who 
would  even  have  put  him  to  death  but  for  the 
interference  of  the  Indians,  to  whom  it  was 
hoped  he  would  impute  no  part  of  the 
offense.  They  further  requested  that  he  would 
remain  and  inhabit  their  country,  and  not 
return  among  the  English;  that  is,  go  east- 
ward. 

After  the  rattlesnake  was  gone,  I  learned 
that  this  was  the  first  time  that  an  individual 
of  the  species  had  been  seen  so  far  to  the  north- 
ward and  westward  of  the  River  Des  Franjais, 
a  circumstance,  moreover,  from  which  my 
companions  were  disposed  to  infer  that  this 
manito  had  come,  or  been  sent,  on  purpose  to 
meet  them;  that  his  errand  had  been  no  other 
than  to  stop  them  on  their  way;  and  that  con- 
sequently it  would  be  most  advisable  to  return 
to  the  point  of  departure,  I  was  so  fortunate, 
however,  as  to  prevail  with  them  to  embark, 
169 


aiejcanticr  ^cnrp 


and  at  six  o'clock  in  the  evening  we  again 
encamped.  Very  little  was  spoken  of  through 
the  evening,  the  rattlesnake  excepted. 

Early  the  next  morning  we  proceeded.  We 
had  a  serene  sky  and  very  little  wind,  and  the 
Indians,  therefore,  determined  on  steering 
across  the  lake  to  an  island  which  just  appeared 
in  the  horizon;  saving,  by  this  course,  a  dis- 
tance of  thirty  miles,  which  would  be  lost  in 
keeping  the  shore.  At  nine  o'clock,  A.  m.,  we 
had  a  hght  breeze  astern,  to  enjoy  the  benefit  of 
which  we  hoisted  sail.  Soon  after  the  wind 
increased  and  the  Indians,  beginning  to  be 
alarmed,  frequently  called  on  the  rattlesnake 
to  come  to  their  assistance.  By  degrees  the 
waves  grew  high;  and  at  eleven  o'clock  it  blew 
a  hurricane  and  we  expected  every  moment  to 
be  swallowed  up.  From  prayers  the  Indians 
now  proceeded  to  sacrifices,  both  alike  offered 
to  the  god-rattlesnake,  or  manito-kinibic.  One 
of  the  chiefs  took  a  dog,  and  after  tying  its 
fore-legs  together  threw  it  overboard,  at  the 
same  time  calHng  on  the  snake  to  preserve  us 
from  being  drowned,  and  desiring  him  to  sat- 
isfy his  hunger  with  the  carcass  of  the  dog. 
The  snake  was  unpropitious,  and  the  wind 
increased.  Another  chief  sacrificed  another 
dog,  with  the  addition  of  some  tobacco.  In 
the  prayer  which  accompanied  these  gifts  he 
besought  the  snake,  as  before,  not  to  avenge 
upon  the  Indians  the  insult  which  he  had 
received  from  myself,  in  the  conception  of  a 
170 


Crabcl^  anH  ^tJbenture^ 

design  to  put  him  to  death.  He  assured  the 
snake  that  I  was  absolutely  an  Englishman, 
and  of  kin  neither  to  him  nor  to  them. 

At  the  conclusion  of  this  speech  an  Indian, 
who  sat  near  me,  observed  that  if  we  were 
drowned  it  would  be  for  my  fault  alone,  and 
that  I  ought  myself  to  be  sacrificed  to  appease 
the  angry  manito;  nor  was  I  without  appre- 
hensions that  in  case  of  extremity  this  would 
be  my  fate;  but  happily  for  me  the  storm  at 
length  abated,  and  we  reached  the  island 
safely. 

The  next  day  was  calm  and  we  arrived  at  the 
entrance  "  of  the  navigation  which  leads  to 
Lake  aux  Claies.'*  We  presently  passed  two 
short  carrying-places,  at  each  of  which  were 
several  lodges  of  Indians,^^  containing  only 
women  and  children,  the  men  being  gone  to 
the  council  at  Niagara.  From  this,  as  from  a 
former  instance,  my  companions  derived  new 
courage. 

On  the  eighteenth  of  June  we  crossed  Lake 
aux  Claies,  which  appeared  to  be  upward 
of  twenty  miles  in  length.   At  its  farther  end 

"  This  is  the  Bay  of  Matchedash,  or  Matchitashk. 
— Author.    ^ 

'*  This  lake,  which  is  now  called  Lake  Simcoe,  lies 
between  Lakes  Huron  and  Ontario. — Author. 

^*  These  Indians  are  called  Chippewas,  of  the  par- 
ticular description  called  Wissisakies;  and  from 
their  residence  at  Matchedash,  or  Matchitashk, 
also  called  Matchedash  or  Matkitashk  Indians. — 
Author. 

171 


aiejt:anl)cr  l^mrp 


we  came  to  the  carrying-place  of  Toranto.  ^* 
Here  the  Indians  obHged  me  to  carry  a  burden 
of  more  than  a  hundred  pounds  weight.  The 
day  was  very  hot  and  the  woods  and  marshes 
abounded  with  mosquitoes;  but  the  Indians 
walked  at  a  quick  pace,  and  I  could  by  no 
means  see  myself  left  behind.  The  whole 
country  was  a  thick  forest,  through  which  our 
only  road  was  a  footpath,  or  such  as  in  America 
is  exclusively  termed  an  Indian  path. 

Next  morning  at  ten  o'clock  we  reached  the 
shore  of  Lake  Ontario.  Here  we  were  employed 
two  days  in  making  canoes  out  of  the  bark  of 
the  elm  tree  in  which  we  were  to  transport 
ourselves  to  Niagara.  For  this  purpose  the 
Indians  first  cut  down  a  tree;  then  stripped  ofif 
the  bark  in  one  entire  sheet  of  about  eighteen 
feet  in  length,  the  incision  being  lengthwise. 
The  canoe  was  now  complete  as  to  its  top,  bot- 
tom, and  sides.  Its  ends  were  next  closed  by 
sewing  the  bark  together;  and  a  few  ribs  and 
bars  being  introduced,  the  architecture  was 
finished.  In  this  manner  we  made  two  canoes, 
of  which  one  carried  eight  men  and  the  other 
nine. 

On  the  twenty-first  we  embarked  at  Toranto 

'^  Toranto,  or  Toronto,  is  the  name  of  a  French  trad- 
ing-house on  Lake  Ontario,  built  near  the  site  of  the 
present  town  of  York,  the  capital  of  the  province  of 
Upper  Canada. — Author. 

"The  present  town  of  York"  has  since  become,  by  a 
happy  transformation,  the  modern  city  of  Toronto. — 
Editor. 

172 


and  encamped,  in  the  evening,  four  miles 
short  of  Fort  Niagara,  which  the  Indians 
would  not  approach  till  morning. 

At  dawn  the  Indians  were  awake,  and  pres- 
ently assembled  in  council,  still  doubtful  as 
to  the  fate  they  were  to  encounter.  I  assured 
them  of  the  most  friendly  welcome;  and  at 
length,  after  painting  themselves  with  the  most 
lively  colors  in  token  of  their  own  peaceable 
views,  and  after  singing  the  song  which  is  in 
use  among  them  on  going  into  danger,  they 
embarked  and  made  for  Point  Missisaki, 
which  is  on  the  north  side  of  the  mouth  of  the 
river  or  strait  of  Niagara,  as  the  fort  is  on  the 
south."  A  few  minutes  after,  I  crossed  over  to 
the  fort;  and  here  I  was  received  by  Sir  Wil- 
liam Johnson  in  a  manner  for  which  I  have 
ever  been  gratefully  attached  to  his  person  and 
memory. 

Thus  was  completed  my  escape  from  the 
sufferings  and  dangers  which  the  capture  of 
Fort  Michilimackinac  brought  upon  me;  but 
the  property  which  I  had  carried  into  the 
Upper  Country  was  left  behind.  The  reader 
will,  therefore,  be  far  from  attributing  to  me 
any  idle  or  unaccountable  motive  when  he 
finds  me  returning  to  the  scene  of  my  mis- 
fortune. 

"  The  course  of  the  Niagara  is  almost  due  north  and 
south.  Fort  Niagara  was  on  the  east  side  of  the  river, 
Point  Mississaga  on  the  west. 


173 


chapter  23 

THE  RETURN  TO  MACKINAC 

/IT  Fort  Niagara  I  found  General  Brad- 
/~\  street  ^^  with  a  force  of  three  thousand 
men,  preparing  to  embark  for  Detroit 
with  a  view  to  raise  the  siege  which  it  had  sus- 
tained against  Pontiac,  for  twelve  months 
together.  The  English  in  this  time  had  lost 
many  men;  and  Pontiac  had  been  frequently 
on  the  point  of  carrying  the  place,  though 
gallantly  defended  by  Major  Gladwyn,  its 
commandant.^^ 

General  Bradstreet,  having  learned  my  his- 
tory, informed  me  that  it  was  his  design,  on 
'*  Bradstreet  was  at  this  time  a  colonel.  A  native  of 
England,  he  had  become  a  colonist  by  adoption  and 
won  distinction  at  the  siege  of  Louisburg  in  1745.  His 
service  in  the  Seven  Years'  War  won  for  him  the  rank  of 
colonel,  but  on  the  expedition  against  the  western 
Indians,  to  which  Henry  became  attached,  Bradstreet's 
conduct  was  far  from  notable.  He  became  a  general  in 
1772,  and  died  at  Detroit  two  years  later. — Editor. 

"  The  classic  account  of  the  siege  of  Detroit  is  by 
Francis  Parkman  in  his  Conspiracy  of  Pontiac.  Henry 
Gladwin,  commander  at  Detroit,  had  come  to  America 
as  a  lieutenant  in  1 755.  He  was  wounded  in  Braddock's 
Deeat  of  that  year,  and  again  at  Ticonderoga  in  1758. 
He  served  efficiently  throughout  the  war,  and  upon  the 
conclusion  of  Pontiac's  War  returned  (in  1764)  to 
England.  In  1782  he  became  a  major-general,  dying 
nine  years  afterward. — Editor. 

174 


arriving  at  Detroit,  to  detach  a  body  of  troops 
to  Michilimackinac,  and  politely  assured  me 
of  his  services  in  recovering  my  property  there. 
With  these  temptations  before  me  I  was  easily 
induced  to  follow  the  General  to  Detroit. 

But  I  was  not  to  go  as  a  mere  looker-on.  On 
the  contrary,  I  was  invested  with  the  honor  of  a 
command  in  a  corps,  of  the  exploits,  however, 
of  which  I  can  give  no  flattering  account. 

Besides  the  sixteen  Saulteurs,  or  Chippe- 
wa, of  the  Sault  de  Ste.  Marie,  with  whom  I 
had  come  to  Fort  Niagara,  there  were  already 
at  that  place  eighty  Matchedash  Indians,  the 
same  whose  lodges  we  passed  at  the  carrying- 
places  of  Lake  aux  Claies.  These  ninety-six 
men  being  formed  into  what  was  called  the 
Indian  Battalion,  were  furnished  with  neces- 
saries, and  I  was  appointed  to  be  their  leader — 
me,  whose  best  hope  it  had  very  lately  been  to 
live  through  their  forbearance. 

On  the  tenth  of  July  the  army  marched  for 
Fort  Schlausser,^"  a  stockaded  post  above  the 
Great  Falls,  and  I  ordered  my  Indians  to  march 
also.  Only  ten  of  the  whole  number  were  ready 
at  the  call,  but  the  rest  promised  to  follow  the 
next  morning.  With  my  skeleton  battalion, 
therefore,  I  proceeded  to  the  fort,  and  there 
waited  the  whole  of  the  next  day,  impatiently 

'"  Fort  Schlosser  was  built  by  the  British  in  1759  at 
the  upper  end  of  the  portage  around  Niagara  Falls. 
Near  here,  on  September  13,  1763,  occurred  the  mas- 
sacre of  Devil 's  Hole. — Editor. 

17s 


^icjtrantia:  1$mtp 


expecting  the  remainder.  I  waited  in  vain;  and 
the  day  following  returned  to  Fort  Niagara, 
when  I  found  that  they  had  all  deserted,  going 
back  to  their  homes,  equipment  and  all,  by 
the  way  of  Toranto.  I  thought  their  conduct, 
though  dishonest,  not  very  extraordinary; 
since  the  Indians  employed  in  the  siege  of 
Detroit,  against  whom  we  were  leading  them, 
were  at  peace  with  their  nation,  and  their  own 
friends  and  kinsmen.  Amid  the  general  deser- 
tion four  Missisakies  joined  the  ten  whom  I 
had  left  at  Fort  Schlausser. 

For  the  transport  of  the  army  on  Lake  Erie 
barges  had  been  expressly  built,  capable  of 
carrying  a  hundred  men  each,  with  their 
provisions.  One  of  these  was  allowed  to  me  and 
my  Indians. 

On  the  fourteenth  we  embarked  at  Fort 
Schlausser,  and  in  the  evening  encamped  at 
Fort  Erie.  Here  the  Indians,  growing  drunk, 
amused  themselves  with  a  disorderly  firing 
of  their  muskets  in  the  camp.  On  this.  General 
Bradstreet  ordered  all  the  rum  in  the  Indian 
quarters  to  be  seized  and  thrown  away.  The 
Indians,  in  consequence,  threatened  to  desert; 
and  the  general,  judging  it  proper  to  assume 
a  high  tone,  immediately  assembled  the  chiefs 
(for  among  the  fourteen  Indians  there  were 
more  chiefs  than  one)  and  told  them  that  he  had 
no  further  occasion  for  their  services,  and  that 
such  of  them  as  should  follow  his  camp  would 
be  considered  as  soldiers,  and  subjected  to 

176 


€rabcl^  anli  ^Dbniture^ 

military  discipline  accordingly.  After  hearing 
the  General's  speech,  the  majority  set  out  for 
Fort  Niagara  the  same  evening,  and  thence 
returned  to  their  own  country  by  the  way  of 
Toranto;  and  thus  was  my  poor  battalion 
still  further  diminished! 

On  our  fifth  day  from  Fort  Schlausser  we 
reached  Presqu'isle,*'  where  we  dragged  our 
barges  over  the  neck  of  land,  but  not  without 
straining  their  timbers;  and  with  more  loss  of 
time,  as  I  believe,  than  if  we  had  rowed 
round.  On  the  twentieth  day  we  were  off  the 
mouth  of  the  river  which  falls  into  .Sandusky 
Bay,  where  a  council  of  war  was  held  on  the 
question  whether  it  were  more  advisable  to 
attack  and  destroy  the  Indian  villages  on  the 
Miami  or  to  proceed  for  Detroit  direct.  Early 
the  next  morning,  it  having  been  determined 
that,  considering  the  villages  were  populous  as 
well  as  hostile,  it  was  necessary  to  destroy 
them,  we  entered  the  Miami ;  but  were  pres- 
ently met  by  a  deputation  offering  peace. 
The  offer  was  accepted;  but  it  was  not  till  after 
two  days,  during  which  we  had  begun  to  be 
doubtful  of  the  enemy's  intention,  that  the 
chiefs  arrived. 

When  they  came,  a  sort  of  armistice  was 

"  Modern  Erie,  Pennsylvania.  The  French  had  had 
a  post  here,  which  was  abandoned  and  burned  after  the 
fall  of  Montreal  in  1760,  in  advance  of  the  coming  of 
the  English.  The  latter  arrived  on  July  17,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  rebuild  the  fort. — Editor. 

177 


^IcranDer  i^enrp 


agreed  upon;^-  and  they  promised  to  meet  the 
General  at  Detroit  within  fifteen  days.  At 
that  place  terms  of  peace  were  to  be  settled 
in  a  general  council.  On  the  eighth  of  August 
we  landed  at  Detroit.^ 

The  Indians  of  the  Miami  were  punctual, 
and  a  general  peace  was  concluded.  Pontiac, 
who  could  do  nothing  against  the  force  which 
was  now  opposed  to  him  and  who  saw  himself 
abandoned  by  his  followers,  unwiUing  to  trust 
his  fortunes  with  the  English,  fled  to  the 
IlHnois.s* 

*-  This  occurred  at  Presque  Isle,  rather  than  Sandus- 
ky. Bradstreet's  highly  injudicious  procedure  in  this 
connection  was  promptly  disavowed  by  his  superior 
officers.  "They  have  negotiated  with  you  on  Lake 
Erie,  and  cut  our  throats  upon  the  frontiers, "  wrote 
General  Gage  to  Bradstreet  on  October  15,  and  in  this 
and  other  communications  he  spoke  bitterly  of  Brad- 
street's  conduct. — Editor. 

*■"  Bradstreet's  army  reached  Detroit  on  August  26. 
— Editor. 

^*  It  is  very  possible,  nevertheless,  that  Pontiac  sub- 
sequently joined  the  English,  and  that  a  portion  of 
what  is  related  by  Carver  concerning  his  latter  history 
and  death  is  true.  It  cannot,  however,  be  intended  to 
insinuate  that  an  English  governor  was  party  to  the 
assassination : 

"Pontiac  henceforward  seemed  to  have  laid  aside  the 
animosity  he  had  hitherto  borne  towards  the  English, 
and  apparently  became  their  zealous  friend.  To  re- 
ward this  new  attachment,  and  to  insure  a  continuance 
of  it,  government  allowed  him  a  handsome  pension. 
But  his  restless  and  intriguing  spirit  would  not  suffer 
him  to  be  grateful  for  this  allowance,  and  his  conduct 
at  length  grew  suspicious;  so  that  going,  in  the  year 

178 


Crabri^  anti  Sttibcnture^ef 

On  the  day  following  that  of  the  treaty  of 
peace,  Captain  Howard  was  detached,  with 
two  companies  and  three  hundred  Canadian 
volunteers,  for  Fort  Michilimackinac;^*  and 
I  embarked  at  the  same  time. 
1767,  to  hold  a  council  in  the  country  of  the  Illinois,  a 
faithful  Indian,  who  was  either  commissioned  by  one 
of  the  English  governors,  or  instigated  by  the  love  he 
bore  the  English  nation,  attended  him  as  a  spy;  and 
being  convinced  from  the  speech  of  Pontiac  made  in 
the  council,  that  he  still  retained  his  former  prejudices 
against  those  for  whom  he  now  professed  a  friendship, 
he  plunged  his  knife  into  his  heart,  as  soon  as  he  had 
done  speaking,  and  laid  him  dead  on  the  spot. " — 
Author. 

Pontiac  relapsed  into  obscurity  following  the  un- 
successful ending  of  the  war  against  the  English  which 
he  had  originated  and  led.  In  1769,  while  paying  a 
visit  to  St.  Louis,  he  crossed  the  river  to  Cahokia  and 
was  there  slain  by  a  Kaskaskia  Indian  who  was  bribed 
thereto  by  an  English  trader  for  the  present  of  a  barrel 
of  rum.  His  body  was  carried  across  the  river  to  St. 
Louis  and  there  buried.  "For  a  mausoleum,"  says 
Parkman,  "a  city  has  arisen  above  the  forest  hero;  and 
the  race  whom  he  hated  with  such  burning  rancor 
trample  with  unceasing  footsteps  over  his  forgotten 
grave." — Editor. 

*^  The  figures  have  been  transposed  by  Henry; 
Captain  Howard  had  300  English  troops  and  two 
companies  of  Canadians  of  fifty  men  each.  In  1775 
Governor  Hamilton  of  Detroit  reported  to  General 
Guy  Carleton  that  he  had  been  informed  "by  a  person 
of  character  here"  that  Colonel  Bradstreet  had  prom- 
ised to  pay  the  Canadians  who  went  with  Captain 
Howard  half  a  dollar  per  day,  which  was  never  given 
them,  "tho  they  had  neglected  their  harvest  and 
returned  half  naked. ^  Such  a  precedent,"  continued 
Hamilton,   "must   be   of  the  worst  consequence  and  I 

179 


^Icranticc  ipenrp 


From  Detroit  to  the  mouth  of  Lake  Huron 
is  called  a  distance  of  eighty  miles.  From  the 
fort  to  Lake  St.  Claire,  which  is  only  seven 
miles,  the  lands  are  cultivated  on  both  sides 
of  the  strait,  and  appeared  to  be  laid  out  in 
very  comfortable  farms.  In  the  strait,  on 
the  right  hand  is  a  village  of  Huron,  and  at  the 
mouth  of  Lake  St.  Claire  a  village  of  Ottawa. 
We  met  not  a  single  Indian  on  our  voyage,  the 
report  of  the  arrival  of  the  English  army  having 
driven  every  one  from  the  shores  of  the  lake. 

On  our  arrival  at  Michilimackinac  the 
Ottawa  of  L'Arbre  Croche  were  sent  for  to 
the  fort.  They  obeyed  the  summons,  bringing 
with  them  some  Chippewa  chiefs,  and  peace 
was  concluded  with  both. 

For  myself,  having  much  property  due  to  me 
at  Ste.  Marie's,  I  resolved  on  spending  the 
winter  at  that  place.  I  was  in  part  successful; 
and  in  the  spring  I  returned  to  Michilimackinac. 

The  pause  which  I  shall  here  make  in  my 
narrative  might  with  some  propriety  have  been 
placed  at  the  conclusion  of  the  preceding 
chapter;  but  it  is  here  that  my  first  series  of 
adventures  are  brought  truly  to  an  end.  What 
remains  belongs  to  a  second  enterprise,  wholly 
independent  of  the  preceding. 

mention  the  fact  to  your  Excellency  as  it  has  left  a  deep 
impression  upon  those  who  were  sufferers  from  such 
a  dishonorable  breach  of  word  and  credit."  R.  G. 
Thwaites  and  L.  P.  Kellogg  Revolution  on  the  Upper 
Ohio  (Madison,  1908),  133-34. — Editor. 

180 


PART  TWO 

Lake  Superior  and  the  Canadian 
Northwest,  1765-76 


JOURNEY  TO  CHEQUAMEGON 

UNDER  the  French  government  of  Can- 
ada the  fur  trade  was  subject  to  a 
variety  of  regulations,  established  and 
enforced  by  the  royal  authority;  and  in  1765, 
the  period  at  which  I  began  to  prosecute  it 
anew,  some  remains  of  the  ancient  system  were 
still  preserved.  No  person  could  go  into  the 
countries  lying  north-westward  of  Detroit  un- 
less furnished  with  a  Hcense;  and  the  exclusive 
trade  of  particular  districts  was  capable  of 
being  enjoyed  in  virtue  of  grants  from  military 
commanders. 

The  exclusive  trade  of  Lake  Superior  was 
given  to  myself  by  the  commandant  of  Fort 
Michilimackinac;  and  to  prosecute  it  I  pur- 
chased goods,  which  I  found  at  this  post,  at 
twelve  months'  credit.  My  stock  was  the 
freight  of  four  canoes,  and  I  took  it  at  the  price 
of  ten  thousand  pounds  weight  of  good  and 
merchantable  beaver.  It  is  in  beaver  that 
accounts  are  kept  at  Michilimackinac;  but  in 
defect  of  this  article,  other  furs  and  skins  are 
accepted  in  payments,  being  first  reduced  unto 
their  value  in  beaver.  Beaver  was  at  this  time 
at  the  price  of  two  shillings  and  six  pence  per 
pound,  Michilimackinac  currency;  otter  skins, 
183 


^kjcanticr  i^cnrp 


at  six  shillings  each;  marten,  at  one  shilling 
and  six  pence,  and  others  in  proportion. 

To  carry  the  goods  to  my  wintering  ground 
in  Lake  Superior,  I  engaged  twelve  men  at 
two  hundred  and  fifty  livres,  of  the  same  cur- 
rency, each;  that  is,  a  hundred  pounds  weight 
of  beaver.  For  provisions,  I  purchased  fifty 
bushels  of  maize  at  ten  pounds  of  beaver  per 
bushel.  At  this  place  specie  was  so  wholly  out 
of  the  question  that  in  going  to  a  cantine,'  you 
took  with  you  a  marten's  skin,  to  pay  your 
reckoning.^ 

On  the  fourteenth  of  July,  1765  I  embarked 
for  the  Sault  de  Ste.  Marie,  where,  on  my  arrival, 
I  took  into  partnership  M.  Cadotte,  whom  I 
have  already  had  frequent  occasion  to  name; 
and  on  the  26th  I  proceeded  for  my  wintering 
ground,  which  was  to  be  fixed  at  Chagouemig.' 

*  The  post  canteen. — Editor. 

^  See  Part  One,  chapter  v. — Author. 

'  Modern  Chequamegon  Bay,  near  whose  head  stands 
the  city  of  Ashland,  Wisconsin.  In  this  vicinity  is  one 
of  the  oldest  centers  of  French  activity  in  the  interior  of 
the  continent.  Here  two  daring  traders,  Groseilliers  and 
Radisson,  established  headquarters  two  decades  before 
William  Penn  founded  the  City  of  Brotherly  Love. 
Here  for  four  years,  beginning  in  October,  1665,  Father 
Allouez  labored  unavailingly  to  soften  the  hearts  of  the 
contumacious  red  men.  Trom  here  Father  Marquette 
followed  the  Ottawa  and  Huron  bands,  fleeing  eastward 
before  the  avenging  Sioux,  to  establish  at  the  Straits 
of  Mackinac  the  mission  of  St.  Ignace.  Following 
Radisson  and  Groseilliers  came  a  long  succession  of 
traders  whose  names  have  now  become  commonplaces 

184 


The  next  morning  I  crossed  the  Strait  of 
Ste.  Marie,  or  of  Lake  Superior,  to  a  point 
which  the  Chippewa  call  the  Grave  of  the 
Iroquois.**  To  this  name  there  belongs  a 
tradition  that  the  Iroquois,  who  at  a  certain 
time  made  war  upon  the  Chippewa,  with  the 
design  of  dispossessing  them  of  their  country, 
encamped  one  night  a  thousand  strong  upon 
this  point;  where,  thinking  themselves  secure 
from  their  numbers,  they*  indulged  in  feasting 
on  the  bodies  of  their  prisoners.  The  sight, 
however,  of  the  sufferings  and  humiHation  of 
their  kindred  and  friends  so  wrought  upon 
the  Chippewa,  who  beheld  them  from  the 
opposite  shore,  that  with  the  largest  number 
of  warriors  they  could  collect,  but  which 
amounted  only  to  three  hundred,  they  crossed 
the  channel  and  at  break  of  day  fell  upon  the 
Iroquois,  now  sleeping  after  their  excesses,  and 
put  one  and  all  to  death.  Of  their  own  party, 
they  lost  but  a  single  man;  and  he  died  of  a 

in  the  history  of  the  Northwest — Duluth,  Le  Sueur, 
La  Ronde,  Henry,  the  Cadottes,  the  Warren  brothers, 
and  others.  For  the  early  history  of  the  place  see 
Thwaites,  "Story  of  Chequamegon  Bay"  in  Wis. 
Hist.  Colls.,  XIII,  397-425. — Editor. 

*  Iroquois  Point  is  in  modern  Chippewa  County, 
Michigan.  Nearby  is  the  village  of  Iroquois.  The 
tragedy  which  gave  their  names  to  point  and  village 
occurred  in  1662.  A  detailed  narrative  of  the  afTair 
by  Perrot  is  in  Emma  H.  Blair's  Indian  Tribes  of  the 
Upper  Mississippi  Valley  and  Region  of  the  Great  Lakes 
(Cleveland,  191 1),  I,  178-80. — Editor. 

i8s 


^Icranticr  i^cnrp 


wound  which  he  received  from  an  old  woman, 
who  stabbed  him  with  an  awl.  She  was  at 
work,  making  shoes  for  the  family,  when  he 
broke  into  the  lodge,  near  the  entrance  of  which 
she  sat.  Some  of  the  old  men  of  my  crew 
remembered  at  this  place  to  have  seen  bones. 

On  the  lake  we  fell  in  with  Indians,  of  whom 
I  purchased  provisions.  One  party  agreed  to 
accompany  me,  to  hunt  for  me,  on  condition  of 
being  supplied  with  necessaries  on  credit. 

On  the  nineteenth  of  August  we  reached  the 
mouth  of  the  river  Ontonagan,  one  of  the 
largest  on  the  south  side  of  the  lake.  At  the 
mouth  was  an  Indian  village;  and  at  three 
leagues  above,  a  fall,  at  the  foot  of  which 
sturgeon  were  at  this  season  so  abundant  that 
a  month's  subsistence  for  a  regiment  could 
have  been  taken  in  a  few  hours. 

But  I  found  this  river  chiefly  remarkable  for 
the  abundance  of  virgin  copper  which  is  on 
its  banks  and  in  its  neighborhood,  and  of  which 
the  reputation  is  at  present  more  generally 
spread  than  it  was  at  the  time  of  this  my  first 
visit.  The  attempts  which  were  shortly  after 
made  to  work  the  mines  of  Lake  Superior  to 
advantage  will  very  soon  claim  a  place  among 
the  facts  which  I  am  to  describe. 

The  copper  presented  itself  to  the  eye  in 
masses  of  various  weight.  The  Indians  showed 
me  one  of  twenty  pounds.  They  were  used  to 
manufacture  this  metal  into  spoons  and  brace- 
lets for  themselves.    In  the  perfect  state  in 

1 86 


which  they  found  it,  it  required  nothing  but  to 
be  beat  into  shape.  The  Pi-wa-tic,  or  Iron 
River,*  enters  the  lake  to  the  westward  of  the 
Ontonagan;  and  here,  as  is  pretended,  silver 
was  found  while  the  country  was  in  the  pos- 
session of  the  French. 

Beyond  this  river  I  met  more  Indians,  whom 
I  furnished  with  merchandise  on  credit.  The 
prices  were,  for  a  stroud  blanket,  ten  beaver- 
skins;  for  a  white  blanket,  eight;  a  pound  of 
powder,  two;  a  pound  of  shot,  or  of  ball,  one; 
a  gun,  twenty;  an  axe  of  one  pound  weight, 
two;  a  knife,  one.  Beaver,  it  will  be  remem- 
bered, was  worth  at  Michilimackinac  two 
shillings  and  sixpence  a  pound,  in  the  cur- 
rency of  that  place;  that  is,  six  livres,  or  a 
dollar. 

On  my  arrival  at  Chagouemig  I  found  fifty 
lodges  of  Indians  there.  These  people  were 
almost  naked,  their  trade  having  been  inter- 
rupted, first  by  the  EngUsh  invasion  of  Canada 
and  next  by  Pontiac's  War. 

Adding  the  Indians  of  Chagouemig  to  those 
which  I  had  brought  with  me,  I  had  now  a 
hundred  families,  to  all  of  whom  I  was  required 
to  advance  goods  on  credit.  At  a  council 
which  I  was  invited  to  attend,  the  men  de- 
clared that  unless  their  demands  were  comphed 
with  their  wives  and  children  would  perish; 
for  that   there  were   neither  ammunition  nor 

'  Modern  Iron  River,  in  Ontonagon  County,  Michi- 
gan.— Editor. 

187 


^lejtranticr  i^nirp 


clothing  left  among  them.  Under  these  circum- 
stances I  saw  myself  obliged  to  distribute  goods 
to  the  amount  of  three  thousand  beaver-skins. 
This  done,  the  Indians  went  on  their  hunt,  at 
the  distance  of  a  hundred  leagues.  A  clerk, 
acting  as  my  agent,  accompanied  them  to 
Fond  du  Lac,^  taking  with  him  two  loaded 
canoes.  Meanwhile,  at  the  expense  of  six 
days'  labor  I  was  provided  with  a  very  com- 
fortable house  for  my  winter's  residence. 

^  At  or  near  the  site  of  modern  Superior,  Wisconsin. — 
Editor. 


Cl^apter  2 

THE  WINTER  AT  CHEQUAMEGON 

CHAGOUEMIG,  or  Chagouemigon,  might 
at  this  period  be  regarded  as  the  metrop- 
oHs  of  the  Chippewa,  of  whom  the 
true  name  is  O'chibbuoy.  The  chiefs  informed 
me  that  they  had  frequently  attacked  the 
Nadowessies  (by  the  French  called  Sioux  or 
Nadouessioux)  with  whom  they  are  always 
at  war,  with  fifteen  hundred  men  including 
in  this  number  the  fighting  men  from  Fond  du 
Lac,  or  the  head  of  Lake  Superior.  The  cause 
of  the  perpetual  war  carried  on  between  these 
two  nations,  is  this,  that  both  claim  as  their 
exclusive  hunting  ground  the  tract  of  country 
which  lies  between  them,  and  uniformly  attack 
each  other  when  they  meet  upon  it.^ 

'  This  immemorial  warfare  between  the  Chippewa 
and  the  Sioux  was  continued  until  almost  our  own  day. 
In  August,  1919,  there  died  at  Beaulieu,  Minnesota,  a 
Chippewa  chief  (Mayzhuckegeshig)  who  in  earlier  life 
had  repeatedly  led  his  braves  to  battle  against  the 
Sioux.  When  a  warrior  distinguished  himself  in  battle 
by  killing  and  scalping  his  foeman  he  was  usually 
decorated  with  a  feather  from  a  war  eagle.  Some 
indication  alike  of  the  prowess  and  of  the  manner  of  life 
of  Mayzhuckegeshig  in  his  earlier  years  is  afforded  by 
the  fact  that  he  had  accumulated  some  twenty  of  these 
prized  trophies.  In  1825  Governor  Cass  met  the  Sioux 
and  the  Chippewa  in  council  at  Prairie  du  Chien, 
189 


^Icjcanbcr  i^cnrp 


The  Chippewa  of  Chagouemig  are  a  hand- 
some, well-made  people;  and  much  more 
cleanly,  as  well  as  much  more  regular  in  the 
government  of  their  families,  than  the  Chip- 
pewa of  Lake  Huron.  The  women  have  agree- 
able features  and  take  great  pains  in  dressing 
their  hair,  which  consists  in  neatly  dividing  it 
on  the  forehead  and  top  of  the  head  and  in 
plaiting  and  turning  it  up  behind.  The  men 
paint  as  well  their  whole  body  as  their  face; 
sometimes  with  charcoal,  and  sometimes  with 
white  ocher;  and  appear  to  study  how  to  make 
themselves  as  unlike  as  possible  to  anything 
human.  The  clothing  in  which  I  found  them, 
both  men  and  women,  was  chiefly  of  dressed 
deer-skin,  European  manufactures  having  been 
for  some  time  out  of  their  reach.  In  this  re- 
spect, it  was  not  long  after  my  goods  were  dis- 
persed among  them  before  they  were  scarcely 
to  be  known  for  the  same  people.  The  wom- 
en heightened  the  color  of  their  cheeks,  and 

Wisconsin,  in  an  effort  to  arrange  their  boundary- 
disputes  and  tiius  end  the  interminable  warfare  between 
the  two  tribes.  When  he  asked  the  Sioux  chiefs  on  what 
ground  they  claimed  the  territory  in  dispute  they  an- 
swered, "by  possession  and  occupation  from  our  fore- 
fathers." Turning  to  the  Chippewa,  Cass  put  the  same 
question,  to  which  the  noted  Hole-in-the-Day,  rising 
with  a  graceful  gesture,  replied:  "My  Father,  we 
claim  it  on  the  same  ground  that  you  claim  this  country 
from  the  British  king — by  conquest.  We  drove  them 
from  the  country  by  force  of  arms,  and  have  since 
occupied  it;  and  they  dare  not  try  to  dispossess  us  of 
our  habitations." — Editor. 

190 


€rabel^  and  atibenture{6f 

really  animated  their  beauty,  by  a  liberal  use 
of  vermilion. 

My  house  being  completed,  my  winter's 
food  was  the  next  object;  and  for  this  purpose, 
with  the  assistance  of  my  men,  I  soon  took  two 
thousand  trout  and  whitefish,  the  former  fre- 
quently weighing  fifty  pounds  each  and  the 
latter  commonly  from  four  to  six.  We  pre- 
served them  by  suspending  them  by  the  tail  in 
the  open  air.  These,  without  bread  or  salt, 
were  our  food  through  all  the  winter,  the  men 
being  free  to  consume  what  quantity  they 
pleased  and  boiUng  or  roasting  them  whenever 
they  thought  proper.  After  leaving  Michili- 
mackinac  I  saw  no  bread;  and  I  found  less 
difficulty  in  reconciling  myself  to  the  privation 
than  I  could  have  anticipated. 

On  the  fifteenth  of  December  the  Bay  of 
Chagouemig  was  frozen  entirely  over.  After 
this  I  resumed  my  former  amusement  of  spear- 
ing trout,  and  sometimes  caught  a  hundred  of 
these  fish  in  a  day,  each  weighing  on  an  average 
twenty  pounds. 

My  house,  which  stood  in  the  bay,  was  shel- 
tered by  an  island  of  fifteen  miles  in  length,* 
and  between  which  and  the  main  the  channel 
is  four  miles  broad.  On  the  island  there  was 
formerly  a  French  trading-post,  much  fre- 
quented; and  in  itfe  neighborhood  a  large 
Indian  village.  To  the  south-east  is  a  lake, 
called  Lake  des  Outaouais,  from  the  Ottawa, 

'  Modern  Madelaine  Island. — Editor. 
191 


^lexanticr  ]^cnrp 


its  former  possessors';  but  it  is  now  the  prop- 
erty of  the  Chippewa. 

From  the  first  hunting  party  which  brought 
me  furs  I  experienced  some  disorderly  be- 
havior; but  happily  without  serious  issue. 
Having  crowded  into  my  house  and  demanded 
rum,  which  I  refused  them,  they  talked 
of  indulging  themselves  in  a  general  pillage, 
and  I  found  myself  abandoned  by  all  my  men. 
Fortunately  I  was  able  to  arm  myself;  and  on 
my  threatening  to  shoot  the  first  who  should 
lay  his  hands  on  anything,  the  tumult  began 
to  subside  and  was  presently  after  at  an  end. 
When  over,  my  men  appeared  to  be  truly 
ashamed  of  their  cowardice,  and  made  promises 
never  to  behave  in  a  similar  manner  again. 

Admonished  of  my  danger,  I  now  resolved 
on  burying  the  hquor  which  I  had;  and  the 
Indians,  once  persuaded  that  I  had  none  to 

^  Lac  Court  Oreilles  in  Sawyer  County,  Wisconsin, 
about  eighty  miles  southwest  of  Henry's  wintering 
place.  Hither  the  Ottawa  fled  in  the  seventeenth 
century,  seeking  refuge  from  the  destroying  Iroquois. 
Although  they  remained  for  but  a  brief  period  they 
returned  to  the  place  on  subsequent  hunting  expedi- 
tions. The  Ottawa  acquired  the  sobriquet  of  Court 
Oreilles  (short  ears)  not  because  they  practiced  clip- 
ping these  organs,  but  because,  unlike  certain  other 
tribes  who  distended  the  lobe  by  ornaments  or  weights, 
they  left  their  ears  in  their  natural  condition.  The 
Ottawa  have  long  since  disappeared  from  the  \'icinity 
of  Lac  Court  Oreilles.  where  there  is  today  an  Indian 
reservation  inhabited  by  several  hundred  Chippewa. 
— Editor. 

192 


Crabd^ef  and  ^Dbrnturcjef 

give  them,  went  and  came  very  peaceably, 
paying  their  debts  and  purchasing  goods.  In 
the  month  of  March  the  manufacture  of  maple 
sugar  engaged,  as  usual,  their  attention. 

While  the  snow  still  lay  on  the  ground,  I 
proposed  to  the  Indians  to  join  me  in  a  hunting 
excursion,  and  they  readily  agreed.  Shortly 
after  we  went  out  my  companions  discovered 
dents  or  hollows  in  the  snow,  which  they 
affirnied  to  be  the  footsteps  of  a  bear,  made  in 
the  beginning  of  the  winter,  after  the  first 
snow.  As  for  me,  I  should  have  passed  over 
the  same  ground  without  acquiring  any  such 
information;  and  probably  without  remarking 
the  very  faint  traces  which  they  were  able  to 
distinguish,  and  certainly  without  deducting 
so  many  particular  facts:  but  what  can  be 
more  credible  than  that  long  habits  of  close 
observation  in  the  forest  should  give  the  Indian 
hunter  some  advantages  in  the  exercise  of  his 
daily  calling?  The  Indians  were  not  deceived; 
for  on  follownng  the  traces  which  they  had 
found  they  were  led  to  a  tree  at  the  root  of 
which  was  a  bear. 

As  I  had  proposed  this  hunt,  I  was  by  the 
Indian  custom  the  master  and  the  proprietor 
of  all  the  game;  but  the  head  of  the  family 
which  composed  my  party  begged  to  have  the 
bear,  alleging  that  he  much  desired  to  make  a 
feast  to  the  Kichi  Manito,  or  Great  Spirit,  who 
had  preserved  himself  and  his  family  through 
the  winter  and  brought  them  in  safety  to  the 

193 


^llerantier  J^enrp 


lake.  On  his  receiving  my  consent,  the  women 
went  to  the  spot  where  we  had  killed  the  bear 
and  where  the  carcass  had  been  left  in  safety, 
buried  deep  in  the  snow.  They  brought  the 
booty  back  with  them,  and  kettles  being  hung 
over  the  fires,  the  whole  bear  was  dressed  for 
the  feast. 

About  an  hour  after  dark  accompanied  by 
four  of  my  men  I  repaired  to  the  place  of 
sacrifice,  according  to  invitation.  The  number 
of  the  Indians  exactly  equalled  ours,  there 
being  two  men  and  three  women;  so  that 
together  we  were  ten  persons,  upon  whom  it 
was  incumbent  to  eat  up  the  whole  bear.  I  was 
obliged  to  receive  into  my  own  plate,  or  dish, 
a  portion  of  not  less  than  ten  pounds  weight, 
and  each  of  my  men  were  supplied  with  twice 
this  quantity.  As  to  the  Indians,  one  of  them 
had  to  his  share  the  head,  the  breast,  the  heart, 
with  its  surrounding  fat,  and  all  the  four  feet; 
and  the  whole  of  this  he  swallowed  in  two 
hours.  He,  as  well  as  the  rest,  had  finished  be- 
fore I  had  got  through  half  my  toil;  and  my 
men  were  equally  behindhand.  In  this  situa- 
tion one  of  them  resorted  to  an  experiment 
which  had  a  ludicrous  issue,  and  which  at  the 
same  time  served  to  discover  a  fresh  feature 
in  the  superstitions  of  the  Indians.  Having 
first  observed  to  us  that  a  part  of  the  cheer 
would  be  very  acceptable  to  him  the  next  day, 
when  his  appetite  should  be  returned,  he  with- 
drew a  part  of  the  contents  of  his  dish  and 

194 


€rabclj^  anil  ^Dbcnturc^ 

made  it  fast  to  the  girdle  which  he  wore  under 
his  shirt.  While  he  disposed  in  this  manner 
of  his  superabundance  I,  who  found  myself 
unable  to  perform  my  part,  requested  the 
Indians  to  assist  me;  and  this  they  cheerfully 
did,  eating  what  I  had  found  too  much  with 
as  much  apparent  ease  as  if  their  stomachs 
had  been  previously  empty.  The  feast  being 
brought  to  an  end,  and  the  prayer  and  thanks- 
giving pronounced,  those  near  the  door  de- 
parted; but  when  the  poor  fellow  who  had 
concealed  his  meat,  and  who  had  to  pass  from 
the  farther  end  of  the  lodge,  rose  up  to  go,  two 
dogs,  guided  by  the  scent,  laid  hold  of  the 
treasure  and  tore  it  to  the  ground.  The  Indians 
were  greatly  astonished;  but  presently  ob- 
served that  the  Great  Spirit  had  led  the  dogs 
by  inspiration  to  the  act  in  order  to  frustrate  the 
profane  attempt  to  steal  away  this  portion  of 
the  offering.  As  matters  stood  the  course  they 
took  was  to  put  the  meat  into  the  fire  and  there 
consume  it. 

On  the  twentieth  of  April  the  ice  broke  up, 
and  several  canoes  arrived  filled  with  women 
and  children  who  reported  that  the  men  of 
their  band  were  all  gone  out  to  war  against  the 
Nadowessies.  On  the  fifteenth  of  May  a  part 
of  the  warriors,  with  some  others,  arrived  in 
fifty  canoes,  almost  every  one  of  which  had 
a  cargo  of  furs.  The  warriors  gave  me  some 
account  of  their  campaign,  stating  that  they 
had  set  out  in  search  of  the  enemy  four 
I9S 


^leranticr  f$cnvp 


hundred  strong  and  that  on  the  fourth  day 
from  their  leaving  their  village  they  had  met 
the  enemy  and  been  engaged  in  battle.  The 
battle,  as  they  related,  raged  the  greater  part 
of  the  day  and  in  the  evening  the  Nadowessies 
to  the  number  of  six  hundred  fell  back  across 
a  river  which  lay  behind  them,  encamping 
in  this  position  for  the  night.  The  Chippewa 
had  thirty-five  killed  and  they  took  advantage 
of  the  suspension  of  the  fray  to  prepare  the 
bodies  of  their  friends,  and  then  retired  to  a 
small  distance  from  the  place  expecting  the 
Nadowessies  to  recross  the  stream  in  the 
morning  and  come  again  to  blows.  In  this, 
however,  they  were  disappointed;  for  the 
Nadowessies  continued  their  retreat  without 
even  doing  the  honors  of  war  to  the  slain.  To 
do  these  honors  is  to  scalp,  and  to  prepare  the 
bodies  is  to  dress  and  paint  the  remains  of  the 
dead,  preparatorily  to  this  mark  of  attention 
from  the  enemy:  "The  neglect,"  said  the  Chip- 
pewa, "was  an  affront  to  us — a  disgrace;  be- 
cause we  consider  it  an  honor  to  have  the  scalps 
of  our  countrymen  exhibited  in  the  villages 
of  our  enemies  in  testimony  of  our  valor. " 
The  concourse  of  Indians  already  mentioned, 
with  others  who  came  after,  all  rich  in  furs, 
enabled  me  very  speedily  to  close  my  traffic  for 
the  spring,  disposing  of  all  the  goods  which  on 
taking  M.  Cadotte  into  partnership  had  been 
left  in  my  own  hands.  I  found  myself  in  pos- 
session of  a  hundred  and  fifty  packs  of  beaver 
196 


weighing  a  hundred  pounds  each,  besides 
twenty-five  packs  of  otter  and  marten  skins; 
and  with  this  part  of  the  fruits  of  my  adventure 
I  embarked  for  Michilimackinac,  sailing  in 
company  with  fifty  canoes  of  Indians  who  had 
still  a  hundred  packs  of  beaver  which  I  was 
unable  to  purchase. 

On  my  way  I  encamped  a  second  time  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Ontonagan  and  now  took  the 
opportunity  of  going  ten  miles  up  the  river 
with  Indian  guides.  The  object  which  I  went 
most  expressly  to  see,  and  to  which  I  had  the 
satisfaction  of  being  led,  was  a  mass  of  copper 
of  the  weight,  according  to  my  estimate,  of  no 
less  than  five  tons.  Such  was  its  pure  and  mal- 
leable state,  that  with  an  axe  I  was  able  to  cut 
off  a  portion  weighing  a  hundred  pounds.^" 
On  viewing  the  surrounding  surface  I  conjec- 
tured that  the  mass  at  some  period  or  other 
had  rolled  from  the  side  of  a  lofty  hill  which 
rises  at  its  back. 

'"  This  mass  of  copper,  later  known  as  Copper  Rock, 
was  known  to  explorers  from  a  very  early  period.  At 
the  time  of  the  boom  in  the  Copper  Country  in  the 
early  'forties,  possession  was  taken  of  Copper  Rock  by 
some  miners  from  the  lead-mines  o!  southern  Wisconsin. 
It  was  later  removed  to  the  Smithsonian  Institution 
at  Washington. — Editor. 


197 


Cl^aptet  3 

FAMINE  AT  THE  SAULT 

I  PASSED  the  winter  following  at  the  Sault 
de  Ste.  Marie.  Fish,  at  this  place,  are 
usually  so  abundant  in  the  autumn  that 
precautions  are  not  taken  for  a  supply  of 
provisions  for  the  winter;  but  this  year  the 
fishery  failed,  and  the  early  setting-in  of  the 
frost  rendered  it  impracticable  to  obtain 
assistance  from  Michilimackinac.  To  the 
increase  of  our  diflBculties,  five  men,  whom,  on 
the  prospect  of  distress,  I  had  sent  to  subsist 
themselves  at  a  distant  post,  came  back  on  the 
day  before  Christmas,  driven  in  by  want. 

Under  these  circumstances,  and  having 
heard  that  fish  might  be  found  in  Oak  Bay, 
called  by  the  French,  Anse  a  la  Feche,  or  Fish- 
ing Cove,^^  which  is  on  the  north  side  of  Lake 
Superior,  at  the  distance  of  twelve  leagues 
from  the  Sault,  I  lost  no  time  in  repairing 
thither,  taking  with  me  several  men,  with  a 
pint  of  maize  only  for  each  person. 

In  Oak  Bay  we  were  generally  able  to  obtain 
a  supply  of  food,  sometimes  doing  so  with  great 
facihty,  but  at  others  going  to  bed  hungry. 

'^  "Ance  a  la  P^che"  is  shown  on  Bellin's  map  of 
Canada  of  1 745  as  the  indentation  on  the  east  side  of 
modern  Whitefish  Bay  into  which  the  Goulais  River 
empties. — Editor. 

198 


After  being  here  a  fortnight,  we  were  joined  by 
a  body  of  Indians,  flying,  like  ourselves,  from 
famine.-  Two  days  after,  there  came  a  young 
Indian  out  of  the  woods  alone,  and  reporting 
that  he  had  left  the  family  to  which  he  be- 
longed behind  in  a  starving  condition  and 
unable,  from  their  weakly  and  exhausted  state, 
to  pursue  their  journey  to  the  bay.  The  ap- 
pearance of  this  youth  was  frightful;  and  from 
his  squalid  figure  there  issued  a  stench  which 
none  of  us  could  support. 

His  arrival  struck  our  camp  with  horror  and 
uneasiness;  and  it  was  not  long  before  the  In- 
dians came  to  me,  saying,  that  they  suspected 
he  had  been  eating  human  flesh,  and  even 
that  he  had  killed  and  devoured  the  family 
which  he  pretended  to  have  left  behind. 

These  charges,  upon  being  questioned,  he 
denied;  but  not  without  so  much  equivocation 
in  his  answers  as  to  increase  the  presumption 
against  him.  In  consequence,  the  Indians 
determined  on  traveling  a  day's  journey  on  his 
track;  observing  that  they  should  be  able  to 
discover  from  his  encampments  whether  he 
were  guilty  or  not.  The  next  day  they  re- 
turned, bringing  with  them  a  human  hand  and 
skull.  The  hand  had  been  left  roasting  before 
a  fire,  while  the  intestines,  taken  out  of  the 
body  from  which  it  was  cut,  hung  fresh  on  a 
neighboring  tree. 

The  youth,  being  informed  of  these  dis- 
coveries, and  further  questioned,  confessed  the 
199 


^krantjcr  J^crnrp 


crime  of  which  he  was  accused.  From  the 
account  he  now  proceeded  to  give  it  appeared 
that  the  family  had  consisted  of  his  uncle  and 
aunt,  their  four  children,  and  himself.  One 
of  the  children  was  a  boy  of  fifteen  years  of 
age.  His  uncle,  after  firing  at  several  beasts  of 
the  chase,  all  of  which  he  missed,  fell  into  de- 
spondence, and  persuaded  himself  that  it  was 
the  will  of  the  Great  Spirit  that  he  should 
perish.  In  this  state  of  mind,  he  requested 
his  wife  to  kill  him.  The  woman  refused  to 
comply;  but  the  two  lads,  one  of  them,  as  has 
been  said,  the  nephew,  and  the  other  the  son 
of  the  unhappy  man,  agreed  between  them- 
selves to  murder  him,  to  prevent,  as  our  in- 
formant wished  us  to  believe,  his  murdering 
them.  Accomplishing  their  detestable  pur- 
pose, they  devoured  the  body;  and  famine 
pressing  upon  them  still  closer,  they  succes- 
sively killed  the  three  younger  children,  upon 
whose  flesh  they  subsisted  for  some  time,  and 
with  a  part  of  which  the  parricides  at  length 
set  out  for  the  lake,  leaving  the  woman,  who 
was  too  feeble  to  travel,  to  her  fate.  On  their 
way,  their  foul  victuals  failed;  the  youth 
before  us  killed  his  companion;  and  it  was  a 
part  of  the  remains  of  this  last  victim  that  had 
been  discovered  at  the  fire. 

The  Indians  entertain  an  opinion  that  the 
man  who  has  once  made  human  flesh  his  food 
will  never  afterward  be  satisfied  with  any 
other.    It  is  probable  that  we  saw  things  in 


some  measure  through  the  medium  of  our  prej- 
udices; but  I  confess  that  this  distressing  ob- 
ject appeared  to  verify  the  doctrine.  He  ate 
with  relish  nothing  that  was  given  him;  but, 
indifferent  to  the  food  prepared,  fixed  his  eyes 
continually  on  the  children  which  were  in  the 
Indian  lodge,  and  frequently  exclaimed,  "How 
fat  they  are!"  It  was  perhaps  not  unnatural 
that  after  long  acquaintance  with  no  human 
form  but  such  as  was  gaunt  and  pale  from  want 
of  food,  a  man's  eyes  should  be  almost  riveted 
upon  anything  where  misery  had  not  made 
such  inroads,  and  still  more  upon  the  bloom 
and  plumpness  of  childhood;  and  the  exclama- 
tion might  be  the  most  innocent,  and  might 
proceed  from  an  involuntary  and  unconquerable 
sentiment  of  admiration.  Be  this  as  it  may,  his 
behavior  was  considered,  and  not  less  naturally, 
as  marked  with  the  most  alarming  symptoms; 
and  the  Indians,  apprehensive  that  he  would 
prey  upon  their  children,  resolved  on  putting 
him  to  death.  They  did  this  the  next  day  with 
the  single  stroke  of  an  axe,  aimed  at  his  head 
from  behind,  and  of  the  approach  of  which  he 
had  not  the  smallest  intimation. 

Soon  after  this  affair  our  supply  of  fish,  even 
here,  began  to  fail;  and  we  resolved,  in  conse- 
quence, to  return  to  the  Sault,  in  the  hope  that 
some  supply  might  have  arrived  there.  Want, 
however,  still  prevailed  at  that  place,  and  no 
stranger  had  visited  it;  we  set  off,  therefore, 
to  Michilimackinac,  taking  with  us  only  one 


9llejtrantier  l^cnrp 


meal 's  provision  for  each  person.  Happily,  at 
our  first  encampment  an  hour's  fishing  pro- 
cured us  seven  trout,  each  from  ten  pounds 
weight  to  twenty.  At  the  River  Miscoutinsaki 
we  found  two  lodges  of  Indians  who  had  fish, 
and  who  generously  gave  us  part.  The  next 
day  we  continued  our  journey  till,  meeting 
with  a  caribou,  I  was  so  fortunate  as  to  kill  it. 
We  encamped  close  to  the  carcass,  which 
weighed  about  four  hundred  pounds,  and  sub- 
sisted ourselves  upon  it  for  two  days.  On  the 
seventh  day  of  our  march  we  reached  Fort 
Michilimackinac,  where  our  difl&culties  ended. 
On  the  first  of  July  there  arrived  a  hundred 
canoes  from  the  Northwest,  laden  mth.  beaver. 


LEGENDS  OF  NANIBOJOU 

THE  same  year  I  chose  my  wintering 
ground  at  Michipicoten  on  the  north 
side  of  Lake  Superior,  distant  fifty 
leagues  from  the  Sault  de  Ste.  Marie.  On  my 
voyage,  after  passing  the  great  capes  which  are 
at  the  mouth  of  the  lake,  I  observed  the  banks 
to  be  low  and  stony  and  in  some  places  run- 
ning a  league  back  to  the  feet  of  a  ridge  of 
mountains. 

At  Point  Mamance  the  beach  appeared  to 
abound  in  mineral  substances  and  I  met  with  a 
vein  of  lead  ore,  where  the  metal  abounded  in 
the  form  of  cubical  crystals.  Still  coasting 
along  the  lake,  I  found  several  veins  of  copper 
ore  of  that  kind  which  the  miners  call  gray  ore. 
From  Mamance  to  Nanibojou  is  fifteen 
leagues.  Nanibojou  is  on  the  eastern  side  of 
the  Bay  of  Michipicoten.  At  the  opposite 
point,  or  cape,  are  several  small  islands,  under 
one  of  which,  according  to  Indian  tradition, 
is  buried  Nanibojou,  a  person  of  the  most 
sacred  memory.  Nanibojou  is  otherwise  called 
by  the  names  of  Minabojou,  Michabou,  Mes- 
sou,  Shactac,  and  a  variety  of  others,  but  of 
all  of  which  the  interpretation  appears  to  be 
the  Great  Hare.   The  traditions  related  of  the 

203 


^ieranticr  I^cnrp 


Great  Hare  are  as  varied  as  his  name.^-  He 
was  represented  to  me  as  the  founder,  and  in- 
deed the  creator,  of  the  Indian  nations  of 
North  America.  He  lived  originally  toward 
the  going-down  of  the  sun  where,  being  warned 
in  a  dream  that  the  inhabitants  would  be 
drowned  by  a  general  flood  produced  by  heavy 
rains,  he  built  a  raft,  on  which  he  afterwards 
preserved  his  own  family  and  all  the  animal 
world  without  exception.  According  to  his 
dream,  the  rains  fell  and  a  flood  ensued.  His 
raft  drifted  for  many  moons  during  which 
no  land  was  discovered.  His  family  began  to 
despair  of  a  termination  to  the  calamity,  and 
the  animals,  who  had  then  the  use  of  speech, 
murmured  loudly  against  him.  In  the  end  he 
produced  a  new  earth,  placed  the  animals  upon 
it,  and  created  man. 

At  a  subsequent  period  he  took  from  the 
animals  the  use  of  speech.  This  act  of  severity 
was  performed  in  consequence  of  a  conspiracy 
into  which  they  had  entered  against  the  human 
race.  At  the  head  of  the  conspiracy  was  the 
bear;  and  the  great  increase  which  had  taken 
place  among  the  animals  rendered  their  num- 
bers formidable.    I  have  heard  many  other 

^'^  The  legends  of  Nanibojou,  dealing  with  the  m)'th 
of  the  creation,  are  preserved  among  many  and  widely 
scattered  tribes.  In  1804  Captain  Thomas  G.  Anderson 
found  at  the  site  of  modern  Two  Rivers,  Wisconsin, 
an  Indian  chief  named  Nannabojou.  His  account  of 
the  origin  and  significance  of  his  name  is  recorded  in 
Wis.  Hist.  Colls.,  IX,  155-57. — Editor. 

204 


€rabri^  and  ^Dbcnturc^ 

stories  concerning  Nanibojou,  and  many  have 
been  already  given  to  the  public;  and  this  at 
least  is  certain,  that  sacrifices  are  offered  on 
the  island  which  is  called  his  grave  or  tumulus, 
by  all  who  pass  it.  I  landed  there  and  found 
on  the  projecting  rocks  a  quantity  of  tobacco 
rotting  in  the  rain,  together  with  kettles, 
broken  guns,  and  a  variety  of  other  articles. 
His  spirit  is  supposed  to  make  this  its  constant 
residence;  and  here  to  preside  over  the  lake, 
and  over  the  Indians,  in  their  navigation  and 
fishing. 

This  island  lies  no  farther  from  the  main 
than  the  distance  of  five  hundred  yards.  On 
the  opposite  beach  I  found  several  pieces  of 
virgin  copper,  of  which  many  were  remarkable 
for  their  form,  some  resembling  leaves  of 
vegetables  and  others,  animals.  Their  weight 
was  from  an  ounce  to  three  pounds. 

From  the  island  to  my  proposed  wintering 
ground  the  voyage  was  about  ten  leagues.  The 
lake  is  here  bordered  by  a  rugged  and  elevated 
country,  consisting  in  mountains  of  which  for 
the  most  part  the  feet  are  in  the  water  and  the 
heads  in  the  clouds.  The  river  which  falls  into 
the  bay  is  a  large  one  but  has  a  bar  at  its  en- 
trance over  which  there  is  no  more  than  four 
feet  water. 

On  reaching  the  trading  post,  which  was  an 
old  one  of  French  establishment,  I  found  ten 
lodges  of  Indians.  These  were  Gens  de 
Terres,   or   O'pimittish    Ininiwac,    of    which 

20S 


^leranljcr  l^cnrp 


nation  I  have  already  had  occasion  to  speak. ^' 
It  is  scattered  over  all  the  country  between  the 
Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence  and  Lake  Arabuthcow/* 
and  between  Lake  Superior  and  Hudson's 
Bay.  Its  language  is  a  mixture  of  those  of  its 
neighbors,  the  Chippewa  and  Christinaux.^-'' 
The  men  and  women  wear  their  hair  in  the  same 
fashion,  and  are  otherwise  so  much  dressed 
aUke  that  it  is  often  difl&cult  to  distinguish 
their  sexes.  Their  lodges,  on  the  insufficiency  of 
which  I  have  before  remarked,  have  no  cover- 
ing except  the  branches  of  the  spruce  fir  and 
these  habitations,  as  well  as  the  clothes  and 
persons  of  the  inhabitants,  are  full  of  dirt 
and  vermin.  Such  is  the  inhospitality  of  the 
country  over  which  they  wander  that  only  a 
single  family  can  live  together  in  the  winter 
season,  and  this  sometimes  seeks  subsistence 
in  vain  on  an  area  of  five  hundred  square  miles. 
They  can  stay  in  one  place  only  till  they  have 
destroyed  all  its  hares,  and  when  these  fail 
they  have  no  resource  but  in  the  leaves  and 
shoots  of  trees,  or  in  defect  of  these  in  canni- 
balism.   Most  of  these  particulars,  however, 

"  See  Part  One,  chapter  6.  They  are  also  called  Tfites 
de  Boule. — Author. 

The  descendants  of  the  Tetes  de  Boule  (round- 
heads) now  dwell  in  the  province  of  Quebec.  Alone  of 
all  the  tribes  of  eastern  Canada,  they  still  refuse  to 
devote  themselves  to  agriculture. — Editor. 

1*  Modern  Lake  Athabasca. — Editor. 

"  The  same  with  Kristinaux,  Killistinoes,  Criqs, 
Cris,  Crees,  etc.,  etc.,  etc. — Author. 

206 


are  to  be  regarded  as  strong  traits  by  which  the 
sorrows  and  calamities  of  the  country  admit 
of  being  characterized,  rather  than  as  parts  of 
an  accurate  delineation  of  its  more  ordinary 
state. 

Among  such  of  these  Indians  as  I  knew,  one 
of  them  was  married  to  his  own  daughter,  who 
had  brought  him  several  children;  and  I  was 
told  by  his  companions  that  it  was  common 
among  them  for  a  man  to  have  at  the  same 
time  both  a  mother  and  her  daughter  for 
wives. 

To  the  ten  lodges  I  advanced  goods  to  a  large 
amount,  allowing  every  man  credit  for  a  hun- 
dred beaver-skins,  and  every  woman  for  thirty. 
In  this  I  went  beyond  what  I  had  done  for  the 
Chippewa,  a  proceeding  to  which  I  was  em- 
boldened by  the  high  character  for  honesty 
which  is  supported  by  this  otherwise  abject 
people.  Within  a  few  days  after  their  depar- 
ture, others  arrived;  and  by  the  fifteenth  of 
October  I  had  seen,  or  so  I  was  informed,  all 
the  Indians  of  this  quarter,  and  which  belong 
to  a  thousand  square  miles.  They  were  com- 
prised in  no  more  than  eighteen  families;  and 
even  these,  in  summer,  could  not  find  food  in 
the  country  were  it  not  for  the  fish  in  the 
streams  and  lakes. 

The  country  immediately  contiguous  to  my 

wintering  ground  was  mountainous  in  every 

direction,  and  the  mountains  were  separated 

from  each  other  rather  by  lakes  than  valleys, 

207 


^Icranticr  l^enrp 


the  quantity  of  water  everywhere  exceeding 
that  of  the  land.  On  the  summits  of  some  of 
the  mountains  there  were  sugar-maple  trees; 
but  with  these  exceptions,  the  uplands  had 
no  other  growth  than  spruce-firs  and  pines, 
nor  the  lowlands  than  birch  and  poplar. 
Occasionally,  I  saw  a  few  cariboux,  and  hares 
and  partridges  supplied  my  Sunday  dinners. 
By  Christmas  day  the  lake  was  covered  with 
ice. 


208 


Ci&aptcr  5 

A  TEMPESTUOUS  VOYAGE 

IN  the  beginning  of  April  I  prepared  to  make 
maple  sugar,  building  for  this  purpose  a 
house  in  a  hollow  dug  out  of  the  snow.  The 
house  was  seven  feet  high  but  yet  was  lower 
than  the  snow. 

On  the  twenty-fourth  I  began  my  manu- 
facture. On  the  twenty-eighth  the  lands  below 
were  covered  with  a  thick  fog.  All  was  calm, 
and  from  the  top  of  the  mountain  not  a  cloud 
was  to  be  discovered  in  the  horizon.  Descend- 
ing the  next  day,  I  found  half  a  foot  of  new- 
fallen  snow  and  learned  that  it  had  blown  hard 
in  the  valleys  the  day  before;  so  that  I  per- 
ceived I  had  been  making  sugar  in  a  region 
above  the  clouds. 

Sugar-making  continued  till  the  twelfth  of 
May.  On  the  mountain  we  eat  nothing  but  our 
sugar  during  the  whole  period.  Each  man 
consumed  a  pound  a  day,  desired  no  other  food, 
and  was  visibly  nourished  by  it. 

After  returning  to  the  banks  of  the  river, 
wild  fowl  appeared  in  such  abundance  that  a 
day's  subsistence  for  fifty  men  could  without 
difficulty  be  shot  daily  by  one;  but  all  this  was 
the  affair  of  less  than  a  week,  before  the  end  of 
which  the  water  which  had  been  covered  was 

209 


^leranticr  l^enrp 


left  naked,  and  the  birds  had  fled  away  to  the 
northward. 

On  the  twentieth  day  of  the  month  the  first 
party  of  Indians  came  in  from  their  winter's 
hunt.  During  the  season  some  of  them  had 
visited  one  of  the  factories' of  the  Hudson's 
Bay  Company.  Within  a  few  days  following 
I  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  all  those  to 
whom  I  had  advanced  goods  return.  Out  of 
two  thousand  skins,  which  was  the  amount  of 
my  outstanding  debts,  not  thirty  remained  un- 
paid; and  even  the  trivial  loss  which  I  did 
suffer  was  occasioned  by  the  death  of  one  of  the 
Indians,  for  whom  his  family  brought,  as  they 
said,  all  the  skins  of  which  he  died  possessed, 
and  offered  to  pay  the  rest  from  among  them- 
selves; his  manes,  they  observed,  would  not 
be  able  to  enjoy  peace,  while  his  name  re- 
mained in  my  books  and  his  debts  were  left 
unsatisfied. 

In  the  spring,  at  MichiHmackinac,  I  met 
with  a  Mr.  Alexander  Baxter,  recently  arrived 
from  England  on  report  of  the  ores  existing  in 
this  country.  To  this  gentleman,  I  commu- 
nicated my  mineralogical  observations  and 
specimens,  collected  both  on  my  voyages  and 
at  my  wintering  ground ;  and  I  was  dius  intro- 
duced into  a  partnership  which  was  soon  after- 
ward formed  for  working  the  mines  of  Lake 
Superior. 

Meanwhile,  I  prepared  to  pass  a  second 
winter  at  Michipicoten,  which  I  reached  at  the 


CrabcliGf  anti  ^Dbcntuteief 


usual  season.  In  the  month  of  October,  all  the 
Indians  being  supplied  and  at  the  chase,  I 
resolved  on  indulging  myself  in  a  voyage  to  the 
Sault  de  Ste.  Marie,  and  took  with  me  three 
Canadians  and  a  young  Indian  woman,  who 
wished  to  see  her  relations  there.  As  the  dis- 
tance was  short  and  we  were  to  fish  by  the  way, 
we  took  no  other  provision  than  a  quart  of 
maize  for  each  person. 

On  the  first  night  we  encamped  on  the  island 
of  Nanibojou  and  set  our  net.  We  certainly 
neglected  the  customary  offerings,  and  an 
Indian  would  not  fail  to  attribute  it  to  this 
cause  that  in  the  night  there  arose  a  violent 
storm  which  continued  for  three  days,  in  which 
it  was  impossible  for  us  to  visit  our  net.  In 
consequence  we  subsisted  ourselves  on  our 
maize,  the  whole  of  which  we  nearly  finished. 
On  the  evening  of  the  third  day  the  storm 
abated  and  we  hastened  to  examine  the  net. 
It  was  gone.  To  return  to  Michipicoten  was 
impossible,  the  wind  being  ahead;  and  we 
steered,  therefore,  for  the  Sault.  But  in  the 
evening  the  wind  came  round  and  blew  a  gale 
all  that  night  and  for  the  nine  following  days. 
During  all  this  time  the  waves  were  so  high  and 
broke  so  violently  on  the  beach  that  a  canoe 
could  not  be  put  into  the  water. 

When  we  first  disembarked  we  had  not 
enough  maize  to  afford  a  single  day's  provision 
for  our  party,  consisting  as  it  did  of  five  per- 
sons.   What  there  was  we  consumed  on  the 


^lejcantier  i^cnrp 


first  evening,  reckoning  upon  a  prosperous 
voyage  the  next  morning.  On  the  first  and 
second  days  I  went  out  to  hunt,  but  after 
ranging  for  many  miles  among  the  mountains 
I  returned  in  both  instances  without  success. 
On  the  third  day  I  found  myself  too  weak  to 
walk  many  yards  without  stopping  to  rest  my- 
self; and  I  returned  in  the  evening  with  no  more 
than  two  snowbirds. ^^ 

On  my  arrival  one  of  my  men  informed  me 
that  the  other  two  had  proposed  to  kill  and 
feed  upon  the  young  woman;  and  on  my 
examining  them  as  to  the  truth  of  this  accusa- 
tion they  freely  avowed  it,  and  seemed  to  be 
much  dissatisfied  at  my  opposition  to  their 
scheme. 

The  next  morning  I  ascended  a  lofty  moun- 
tain, on  the  top  of  which  I  found  a  very  high 
rock  and  this  covered  with  a  lichen  which  the 
Chippewas  call  waac,  and  the  Canadians 
tripe  de  rocheP  I  had  previously  been  informed 
,  that  on  occasions  of  famine  this  vegetable  has 

^^  Emberiza  hyemalis. — Author. 

^'  This  is  an  edible  lichen  often  mentioned  by  early 
explorers.  Father  Menard  and  his  companions,  winter- 
ing at  Keweenaw  Bay  in  1 660-61,  used  it  to  preserve 
their  lives  through  the  winter.  "They  would  put  a 
handful  of  it  into  their  kettle,  which  would  thicken 
the  water  ever  so  little,  forming  a  kind  of  foam  or  slime 
like  that  of  snails,  and  feeding  their  imagination  more 
than  their  bodies."  Father  Andre  records  that  "It 
is  necessary  to  close  one's  eyes  when  one  begins  to  eat 
it."   Wis.  Hist.  Colls.,  XVI,  24.— Editor. 


€rabri^  anb  ^tJbentureiSf 

often  been  resorted  to  for  food.  No  sooner, 
therefore,  had  I  discovered  it  than  I  began  to 
descend  the  mountain  to  fetch  the  men  and  the 
Indian  woman.  The  woman  was  well  acquainted 
with  the  mode  of  preparing  the  lichen  for 
the  stomach,  which  is  done  by  boiling  it  down 
into  a  mucilage,  as  thick  as  the  white  of  an  egg. 
In  a  short  time  we  obtained  a  hearty  meal,  for 
though  our  food  was  of  a  bitter  and  disagreeable 
taste,  we  felt  too  much  joy  in  finding  it  and  too 
much  relief  in  eating  it  not  to  partake  of  it 
with  much  appetite  and  pleasure.  As  to  the 
rest,  it  saved  the  Hfe  of  the  poor  wpman;  for 
the  men  who  had  projected  to  kill  her  would 
unquestionably  have  accomplished  their  pur- 
pose. One  of  them  gave  me  to  understand  that 
he  was  not  absolutely  a  novice  in  such  an 
affair;  that  he  had  wintered  in  the  Northwest, 
and  had  been  obhged  to  eat  human  flesh. 

On  the  evening  of  the  ninth  day  the  wind 
fell  and  our  canoe  was  launched,  though  not 
without  difificulty  from  the  weakly  state  of  the 
crew.  We  paddled  all  night,  but  continually 
fell  asleep,  and  whenever  my  own  eyes  were 
closed  I  dreamed  of  tempting  food. 

The  next  morning  we  discovered  two  canoes 
of  Indians  on  their  way  from  the  Sault.  On 
informing  them  of  our  condition  they  suppHed 
us  with  as  many  fish  as  we  were  wilHng  to 
accept;  and  no  sooner  were  we  possessed  of  this 
treasure  than  we  put  ashore,  made  a  fire,  and 
refreshed  ourselves  with  a  plentiful  breakfast. 
213 


^icrantJct  i^cnrp 


At  night  we  reached  the  Sault.  Our  change 
of  diet  had  very  serious  effects  upon  our  health, 
so  that  for  myself  I  had  nearly  fallen  a  victim; 
but  after  a  few  days  we  recovered,  and  re- 
turned safely  to  Michipicoten. 


314 


chapter  e 

1  HE  ISLAND  OF  YELLOW  SANDS 

IN  the  spring  of  1 769  as  soon  as  the  lake  was 
cleared  of  ice  I  embarked  with  two  Indians 
to  visit  the  Island  of  Michipicoten,  or 
He  de  Maurepas,  distant  ten  leagues.  As  we 
approached  it,  it  appeared  large  and  moun- 
tainous. The  Indians  had  informed  me  that  it 
contained  shining  rocks  and  stones  of  rare 
description.  I  found  it  one  solid  rock,  thinly 
covered  with  soil  except  in  the  valleys,  but 
generally  well  wooded.  Its  circumference  is 
twelve  leagues.  On  examining  the  surface  I 
saw  nothing  remarkable,  except  large  veins  of 
transparent  spar,  and  a  mass  of  rock  at  the 
south  end  of  the  island  which  appeared  to  be 
composed  of  iron  ore. 

Disappointed  in  my  expectations  here,  my 
curiosity  was  raised  anew  by  the  account  given 
me  by  my  companions  of  another  island  almost 
as  large  as  that  on  which  I  was,  and  lying  a 
little  farther  to  the  southward.  This  they 
described  as  covered  with  a  heavy  yellow  sand 
which  I  was  credulous  enough  to  fancy  must  be 
gold.  All  they  knew,  however,  of  the  island 
and  its  heavy  yellow  sand  was  from  the  report 
of  some  of  their  ancestors,  concerning  whom  a 
tradition  had  come  down  to  them  that  being 
21S 


^lejtrantiet:  i^cnrp 


blown  upon  the  former  by  a  storm,  they  had 
escaped  with  difficulty  from  the  enormous 
snakes  by  which  it  is  irihabited,  and  which  are 
the  guardians  of  the  yellow  sand.^^  I  was  eager 
to  visit  so  remarkable  a  spot,  and  being  told 
that  in  clear  weather  it  was  visible  from  the 
southward  of  the  He  de  Maurepas,  I  waited 
there  two  days;  but  the  weather  continuing 
hazy,  I  returned  unsatisfied  to  my  post. 

'*  Captain  Carver,  who  visited  Lake  Superior  about 
the  year  1766,  learned  something  of  the  fables  of  the 
yellow  sand,  though  he  places  the  treasure  upon  the  lie 
de  Maurepas,  and  falls  into  other  errors.  His  observa- 
tions are  as  follows:  "There  are  many  islands  in  this 
lake,  two  of  which  are  very  large;  and  if  the  land  of 
them  is  proper  for  cultivation,  there  appears  to  be 
sufficient  to  form  on  each  a  considerable  province; 
especially  on  He  Royale,  which  cannot  be  less  than  a 
hundred  miles  long  and  in  many  places  forty  broad. 
But  there  is  no  way  at  present  of  ascertaining  the 
exact  length  or  breadth  of  either.  Even  the  French, 
who  always  kept  a  small  schooner  on  this  lake  whilst 
they  were  in  possession  of  Canada,  by  which  they 
could  have  made  this  discovery,  have  only  acquired  a 
slight  knowledge  of  the  external  parts  of  these  islands; 
at  least,  they  have  never  published  any  account  of  the 
internal  parts  of  them  that  I  could  get  intelligence  of. 

"Nor  was  I  able  to  discover,  from  any  of  the  con- 
versations which  I  had  with  the  neighboring  Indians, 
that  they  had  ever  made  any  settlements  on  them,  or 
even  landed  there  on  their  hunting  excursions,  from 
what  I  could  gather  by  their  discourse,  they  suppose 
them  to  have  been,  from  the  first  formation,  the 
residence  of  the  Great  Spirit;  and  relate  many  magical 
tricks  that  had  been  experienced  by  such  as  were 
obliged  through  stress  of  weather  to  take  shelter  on 
them. 

216 


This  year  I  attempted  to  cultivate  culinary 
vegetables  at  Michipicoten  but  without  suc- 
cess. It  was  not  at  this  time  believed  that  the 
potato  could  thrive  at  Michilimackinac.  At 
Michipicoten  the  small  quantity  of  this  root 
which  I  raised  was  destroyed  by  the  frost,  in 
the  ensuing  winter. 

In  1770  Mr.  Baxter,  who  had  sailed  for 
England,  returned  bringing  with  him  papers  by 
which,  with  Mr.  Bostwick  and  himself  I  was 
constituted  a  joint  agent  and  partner  in  and  for 
a  company  of  adventurers  for  working  the  mines 
of  Lake  Superior.  We  passed  the  winter  to- 
gether at  the  Sault  de  Ste.  Marie  and  built  a 
barge  fit  for  the  navigation  of  the  lake,  at  the 

"One  of  the  Chipeways  told  me  that  some  of  their 
people  were  once  driven  on  the  Island  de  Maurepas, 
which  lies  to  the  northeast  part  of  the  lake,  and  found 
on  it  large  quantities  of  heavy,  shining  yellow  sand, 
that  from  their  description  must  have  been  gold  dust. 
Being  struck  with  the  beautiful  appearance  of  it,  in  the 
morning  when  they  re-entered  their  canoe  they  attempt- 
ed to  bring  some  away;  but  a  spirit  of  amazing  size, 
according  to  their  account  sixty  feet  in  height,  strode 
into  the  water  after  them,  and  commanded  them  to  de- 
liver back  what  they  had  taken  away.  Terrified  at  his 
gigantic  stature,  and  seeing  that  he  had  nearly  over- 
taken them,  they  were  glad  to  restore  their  shining 
treasure;  on  which  they  were  suffered  to  depart  without 
further  molestation.  Since  this  incident,  no  Indian 
that  has  ever  heard  of  it  will  venture  near  the  same 
haunted  coast.  Besides  this,  they  recounted  to  me 
many  other  stories  of  these  islands,  equally  fabulous. " 
— Three  Years'  Travels  through  (he  Interior  Parts  of 
North  America,  etc.  By  Captain  Jonathan  Carver,  of 
the  Provincial  Troops,  etc. — Author. 

217 


^Icjcanlier  l^enrp 


same  time  laying  the  keel  of  a  sloop  of  forty 
tons.  Early  in  May,  1771,  the  lake  becoming 
navigable,  we  departed  from  Point  aux  Pins, 
our  shipyard,  at  which  there  is  a  safe  harbor 
and  of  which  the  distance  from  the  Sault  is 
three  leagues.  We  sailed  for  the  Island  of 
Yellow  Sands,  promising  ourselves  to  make 
our  fortunes  in  defiance  of  its  serpents. 


218 


Cl^apter  7 

OPERATIONS  OF  THE  COPPER  COMPANY 

/iFTER  a  search  of  two  days  we  discovered 

r\    the  island  with  our  glass;  and  on  the 

third  morning,  the  weather  being  fair, 

steered  for  it  at  an  early  hour.  At  two  o'clock 

in  the  afternoon  we  disembarked  upon  the 

beach. 

I  was  the  first  to  land,  carrying  with  me  my 
loaded  gun  and  resolved  to  meet  with  courage 
the  guardians  of  the  gold.  But  as  we  had  not 
happened  to  run  our  barge  upon  the  yellow 
sands  in  the  first  instance,  so  no  immediate 
attack  was  to  be  feared.  A  wood  was  before  us 
at  some  little  distance  from  the  water's  edge; 
and  I  presently  discovered  the  tracks  of 
cariboux. 

Soon  after  I  entered  the  woods  three  of  these 
animals  discovered  themselves  and,  turning 
round,  gazed  at  me  with  much  apparent  sur- 
prise. I  fired  at  one  of  them  and  killed  it;  and 
at  a  mile  farther  I  killed  a  second.  Their  size 
was  equal  to  that  of  a  three-year-old  heifer. 
The  day  following  I  killed  three. 

The  island  is  much  smaller  than  I  had  been 
led  to  suppose  it,  its  circumference  not  exceed- 
ing twelve  miles.  It  is  very  low  and  contains 
many  small  lakes.  These  latter  I  conjecture  to 
219 


^Jcjcanticr  l^enrp 


have  been  produced  by  the  damming  up  of  the 
streams  by  beaver,  though  those  animals  must 
have  left  the  island  or  perished  after  destroying 
the  wood.  The  only  high  land  is  toward  the 
east. 

A  stay  of  three  days  did  not  enable  us  to  find 
gold  nor  even  the  yellow  sands.  At  the  same 
time  no  serpents  appeared  to  terrify  us;  not 
even  the  smallest  and  most  harmless  snake. 
But  to  support  the  romance,  it  might  be  in- 
ferred that  the  same  agency  which  hid  the  one 
had  changed  the  other;  and  why  should  not  the 
magic  of  the  place  display  itself  in  a  thousand 
varied  exhibitions  ?  Why  should  not  the  ser- 
pents have  been  transformed  into  hawks  ? 
And  why  should  not  the  demons  delight  in 
belying  every  succeeding  visitor  by  never 
showing  the  same  objects  twice?  Sure  I  am, 
that  the  hawks  abounded  when  we  were  there. 
They  hovered  around  us,  and  appeared  even 
angry  at  our  intrusion,  pecking  at  us  and 
keeping  us  in  continual  alarm  for  our  faces. 
One  of  them  actually  took  my  cap  from  off 
my  head. 

On  one  of  the  lakes  we  saw  geese;  and  there 
were  a  few  pigeons.  The  only  four-footed 
animal  was  the  caribou  and  this,  it  is  probable, 
was  first  conveyed  to  the  island  on  some  mass 
of  drifting  ice.  It  was,  however,  no  new  in- 
habitant; for  in  numerous  instances  I  found 
the  bones  of  cariboux,  apparently  in  entire 
skeletons,  with  only  the  tops  of  their  horns 


Crabclj^  anU  SLUticnturcje^ 

projecting  from  the  surface,  while  moss  or 
vegetable  earth  concealed  the  rest.  Skeletons 
were  so  frequent  as  to  suggest  a  belief  that 
want  of  food  in  this  confined  situation  had 
been  the  destruction  of  many;  nor  is  anything 
more  probable;  and  yet  the  absence  of  beasts  of 
prey  might  be  the  real  cause.  In  forests  more 
ordinarily  circumstanced  the  graminivorous 
animals  must  usually  fall  a  prey  to  the  car- 
nivorous long  before  the  arrival  of  old  age; 
but  in  an  asylum  such  as  this,  they  may  await 
the  decay  of  nature. 

The  alarm  of  these  animals  during  our  stay 
was  manifested  in  the  strongest  manner.  At 
our  first  arrival  they  discovered  mere  surprise, 
running  off  to  a  distance  and  then  return- 
ing as  if  out  of  curiosity  to  examine  the 
strangers.  Soon,  however,  they  discovered 
us  to  be  dangerous  visitors,  and  then  took 
to  running  from  one  place  to  another  in  con-, 
fusion.  In  the  three  days  of  our  stay  we  killed 
thirteen. 

The  island  is  distant  sixty  miles  from  the 
north  shore  of  Lake  Superior.  There  is  no  land 
visible  to  the  south  of  it  except  a  small  island 
on  which  we  landed.^^ 

On  the  fourth  day,  after  drying  our  cariboux- 
meat,    we   sailed   for    Nanibojou    which    we 

^'  The  reader  is  not  to  look  into  any  gazetteer  for  the 
Island  of  Yellow  Sands.  It  is  perhaps  that  which  the 
French  denominated  the  lie  de  Pontchartrain. — Author. 

The  island,  now  called  Caribou,  may  be  found  on 
modern  maps  about  twenty-five  miles  due  south  of 


^Icranticr  J^enrp 


reached  in  eighteen  hours,  with  a  fair  breeze. 
On  the  next  day  the  miners  examined  the  coast 
of  Nanibojou  and  found  several  veins  of  copper 
and  lead;  and  after  this  returned  to  Point  aux 
Pins,  where  we  erected  an  air-furnace.  The 
assayer  made  a  report  on  the  ores  which  we  had 
collected,  stating  that  the  lead-ore  contained 
silver  in  the  proportion  of  forty  ounces  to  a 
ton;  but  the  copper-ore  only  in  very  small  pro- 
portion indeed. 

From  Point  aux  Pins  we  crossed  to  the  south 
side  of  the  lake  and  encamped  on  Point  aux 
Iroquois. 

Mr.  Norburg,^"  a  Russian  gentleman  ac- 
quainted with  metals  and  holding  a  commis- 
sion in  the  Sixtieth  Regiment,  and  then  in 
garrison  at  Michilimackinac,  accompanied  us 
on  this  latter  expedition.  As  we  rambled, 
examining  the  shods  or  loose  stones  in  search  of 
minerals,  Mr.  Norburg  chanced  to  meet  with 
one  of  eight  pounds  weight,  of  a  blue  color 
and  semi-transparent.  This  he  carried  to 
England,  where  it  produced  in  the  proportion 
of  sixty  pounds  of  silver  to  a  hundred  weight  of 
ore.  It  was  reposited  in  the  British  Museum. 
Michipicoten  Island. — Editor. 

^^  John  Nordberg  became  lieutenant  in  the  Sixtieth 
Regiment  in  1758  and  captain  in  1773.  At  the  opening 
of  the  Revolution  he  was  commandant  at  Fort  George 
on  Lake  George,  and  surrendered  this  post  to  the  Colo- 
nists in  April.  1775.  After  several  months  imprisonment 
he  was  permitted,  on  account  of  ill-health,  to  return 
to  England. — Editor. 


€rabcl^  anti  ^DbcntureiBf 

The  same  Mr.  Norburg  was  shortly  afterward 
appointed  to  the  government  of  Lake  George 
in  the  province  of  New  York. 

Hence  we  coasted  westward,  but  found 
nothing  till  we  reached  the  Ontonogan,  where, 
besides  the  detached  masses  of  copper  formerly 
mentioned,  we  saw  much  of  the  same  metal 
bedded  in  stone.  Proposing  to  ourselves  to 
make  a  trial  on  the  hill  till  we  were  better  able 
to  work  upon  the  solid  rock,  we  built  a  house 
and  sent  to  the  Sault  de  Ste.  Marie  for  provi- 
sions. At  the  spot  pitched  upon  for  the  com- 
mencement of  our  preparations  a  green-colored 
water,  which  tinged  iron  of  a  copper  color, 
issued  from  the  hill;  and  this  the  miners 
called  a  leader.  In  digging  they  found  frequent 
masses  of  copper,  some  of  which  were  of  three 
pounds  weight.  Having  arranged  everything 
for  the  accommodation  of  the  miners  during  the 
winter,  we  returned  to  the  Sault. 

Early  in  the  spring  of  1772  we  sent  a  boat- 
load of  provisions,  but  it  came  back  on  the 
twentieth  day  of  June,  bringing  with  it,  to 
our  surprise,  the  whole  establishment  of 
miners.  They  reported  that  in  the  course  of 
the  winter  they  had  penetrated  forty  feet  into 
the  hill;  but  that  on  the  arrival  of  the  thaw,  the 
clay,  on  which  on  account  of  its  stiflFness  they 
had  relied  and  neglected  to  secure  it  by  sup- 
porters, had  fallen  in;  that  to  recommence  their 
search  would  be  attended  with  much  labor  and 
cost;  that  from  the  detached  masses  of  metal, 
22s 


aieranticr  l^cnrp 


which  to  the  last  had  daily  presented  them- 
selves, they  supposed  there  might  be  ultimately 
reached  some  body  of  the  same,  but  could  form 
no  conjecture  of  its  distance,  except  that  it  was 
probably  so  far  ofif  as  not  to  be  pursued  with- 
out sinking  an  airshaft:  and  lastly,  that  this 
work  would  require  the  hands  of  more  men 
than  could  be  fed  in  the  actual  situation  of  the 
country. 

Here  our  operations  in  this  quarter  ended. 
The  metal  was  probably  within  our  reach; 
but  if  we  had  found  it  the  expense  of  carrying 
it  to  Montreal  must  have  exceeded  its  market- 
able value.  It  was  never  for  the  exportation 
of  copper  that  our  company  was  formed;  but 
always  with  a  view  to  the  silver  which  it  was 
hoped  the  ores,  whether  of  copper  or  lead, 
might  in  sufficient  quantity  contain.  The 
copper  ores  of  Lake  Superior  can  never  be 
profitably  sought  for  but  for  local  consump- 
tion. The  country  must  be  cultivated  and 
peopled    before    they    can    deserve    notice.^^ 

^^  The  copper  mines  of  Lake  Superior  have  been  more 
than  once  represented  to  the  world  in  colors  capable  of 
deceiving  fresh  adventurers;  and  the  statement  in  the 
text  will  not  have  been  uselessly  made,  if  it  should  at 
any  time  sen^e  as  a  beacon  to  the  unwary.  The  author 
of  Voyages  from  Montreal,  b'c.  has  recently  observed, 
that  the  "Americans,  soon  after  they  got  possession  of 
the  country,  sent  an  engineer";  and  that  he  "should 
not  be  surprised  to  hear  of  their  employing  people  to 
work  the  mine.  Indeed,"  he  adds,  "it  might  be  well 
worthy  the  attention  of  the  British  subjects  to  work  the 
mines  on  the  north  coast  though  they  are  not  supposed 

224 


The  neighboring  lands  are  good.  I  distributed 
seed-maize  among  the  Indians  here,  which  they 
planted  accordingly.  They  did  the  same  the 
following  year,  and  in  both  instances  had  good 
crops.  Whether  or  not  they  continued  the 
practice  I  cannot  say.  There  might  be  much 
danger  of  their  losing  their  seed ;  for  their  way 
was  to  eat  the  maize  green  and  save  only  a 
small  quantity  for  sowing.    . 

In  the  following  month  of  August  we 
launched  our  sloop  and  carried  the  miners  to  the 
vein  of  copper  ore  on  the  north  side  of  the  lake. 
Little  was  done  during  the  winter,  but  by 

to  be  so  rich  as  those  on  the  south";  and  Captain 
Carver  has  given  the  following  account  of  the  identical 
undertaking  above  described:  "A  company  of  ad- 
venturers from  England  began,  soon  after  the  conquest 
of  Canada,  to  bring  away  some  of  this  metal;  bul  the 
distracted  situation  of  affairs  in  America  has  obliged  them 
to  relinquish  their  scheme.  It  might  in  future  times  be 
made  a  very  advantageous  trade;  as  the  metal,  which 
costs  nothing  on  the  spot  and  requires  but  little  expense 
to  get  it  on  board,  could  be  conveyed  in  boats  or  canoes 
through  the  Falls  of  Sainte  Marie  to  the  Isle  of  Saint 
Joseph,  which  lies  at  the  bottom  of  the  strait,  near  the 
entrance  into  Lake  Huron;  from  thence  it  might  be  put 
on  board  larger  vessels,  and  in  them  transported  across 
that  lake  to  the  Falls  of  Niagara;  then  being  carried  by 
land  across  the  portage,  it  might  be  conveyed  without 
much  more  obstruction  to  Quebec.  The  cheapness  and 
ease  with  which  any  quantity  of  it  may  be  procured  will 
make  up  for  the  length  of  way  that  is  necessary  to 
transport  it  before  it  reaches  the  sea  coast;  and  enable 
the  proprietors  to  send  it  to  foreign  markets  on  as  good 
terms  as  it  can  be  exported  from  other  countries." — 
Three  Years'  Travels,  Etc. — Author. 

225 


^Icranticr  l^cnrp 


dint  of  labor  performed  between  the  com- 
mencement of  the  spring  of  1773  and  the  en- 
suing month  of  September  they  penetrated 
thirty  feet  into  the  solid  rock.  The  rock  was 
blasted  with  great  difficulty;  and  the  vein, 
which  at  the  beginning  was  of  the  breadth  of 
four  feet,  had  in  the  progress  contracted  into 
four  inches.  Under  these  circumstances  we 
desisted,  and  carried  the  miners  back  to  the 
Sault.  What  copper  ore  we  had  collected  we 
sent  to  England;  but  the  next  season  we  were 
informed  that  the  partners  there  declined 
entering  into  further  expenses.  In  the  interim 
we  had  carried  the  miners  along  the  north 
shore  as  far  as  the  river  Pic,  making,  however, 
no  discovery  of  importance.  This  year,  there- 
fore, 1774,  Mr.  Baxter  disposed  of  the  sloop 
and  other  effects  of  the  Company,  and  paid 
its  debts. 

The  partners  in  England  were  his  Royal 
Highness  the  Duke  of  Gloucester,  Mr.  Sec- 
retary Townshend,  Sir  Samuel  Tutchet, 
Baronet;  Mr.  Baxter,  Consul  of  the  Empress 
of  Russia;  and  Mr.  Cruickshank:  in  America, 
Sir  William  Johnson,  Baronet;  Mr.  Bostwick, 
Mr.  Baxter  and  myself. 

A  charter  had  been  petitioned  for  and  ob- 
tained, but  owing  to  our  ill  success  it  was  never 
taken  from  the  seal-office. 


226 


JOURNEY  TO  LAKE  WINNIPEG 

PENDING  this  enterprise  I  had  still  pur- 
sued the  Indian  trade,  and  on  its  failure  I 
applied  myself  to  that  employment  with 
more  assiduity  than  ever,  and  resolved  on 
visiting  the  countries  to  the  northwest  of  Lake 
Superior. 

On  the  tenth  day  of  June,  1775,  I  left  the 
Sault  with  goods  and  provisions  to  the  value 
of  three  thousand  pounds  sterling  on  board 
twelve  small  canoes  and  four  larger  ones.  The 
provisions  made  the  chief  bulk  of  the  cargo;  no 
further  supply  being  obtainable  till  we  should 
have  advanced  far  into  the  country.  Each 
small  canoe  was  navigated  by  three  men  and 
each  larger  one  by  four. 

On  the  twentieth  we  passed  the  Tete  de  la 
Loutre,  or  Otter's  Head,  so  named  from  a 
rock  of  about  thirty  feet  in  height  and  fifteen 
in  circumference,  and  which  stands  vertically 
as  if  raised  by  the  hand  of  man.  What  increases 
the  appearance  of  art  is  a  hollow  in  the  ad- 
jacent mass  of  rock,  which  its  removal  might 
be  thought  to  have  left.  In  the  evening  we 
encamped  at  the  mouth  of  the  Pijitic,  a  river  as 
large  as  that  of  Michipicoten,  and  which  in 
like  manner  takes  its  rise  in  the  high  lands 
227 


^leranticr  i^cnrp 


lying  between  Lake  Superior  and  Hudson  Bay. 
From  Michipicoten  to  the  Pijitic  the  coast  of 
the  lake  is  mountainous;  the  mountains  are 
covered  with  pine  and  the  valleys  with  spruce- 
fir. 

It  was  by  the  river  Pijitic  ^^  that  the  French 
ascended  in  1750,  when  they  plundered  one 
of  the  factories  in  Hudson  Bay  and  carried  off 
the  two  small  pieces  of  brass  cannon  which  fell 
again  into  the  hands  of  the  English  at  Michili- 
mackinac.^^  On  the  river  are  a  band  of  Wood 
Indians,  who  are  sometimes  troublesome  to 
the  traders  passing. 

On  the  twenty-first  I  left  the  Pijitic  and 
crossing  a  bay  three  leagues  in  breadth  landed 
on  Pic  Island.  From  Pic  Island  I  coasted  ten 
leagues,  and  then  encamped  on  an  island 
opposite  the  Pays  Plat,  or  Flat  Country,  a 
name  borrowed  from  the  Indians,  and  occa- 
sioned by  the  shoal-water,  which  here  extends 
far  into  the  lake,  and  by  the  flat  and  low  lands 

^2  According  to  Carver  it  was  by  the  Michipicoten. 
If  he  is  correct,  it  must  have  been  from  Moose  Fort,  in 
James  Bay,  and  not  from  Fort  Churchill,  that  they  took 
the  cannon. — Author. 

The  raid  by  the  French  upon  the  Hudson's  Bay 
Company  posts  here  alluded  to  actually  took  place  in 
1686,  and  the  affair  had  long  since  become  legendary 
among  the  voyageurs  of  the  Northwest.  Henry  is  also 
in  error  as  to  the  route  taken  by  the  raiding  party,  which 
was  by  the  Ottawa,  Lake  Abitibi,  Abitibi  and  Moose 
rivers. — Editor. 

^  The  Pijatic  is  now  known  as  White  River. — Editor. 
228 


which  he  between  the  water  and  the  mountain. 

The  Pays  Plat  is  intersected  by  several  large 
rivers,  and  particularly  the  Nipigon,  so  called 
after  Lake  Nipigon,  of  which  it  is  the  dis- 
charge. By  this  river  the  French  carried  on  a 
considerable  trade  with  the  Northern  Indians. 
They  had  a  fort  or  trading-house  at  its  mouth, 
and  annually  drew  from  it  a  hundred  packs  of 
beaver  of  a  quaUty  more  in  esteem  than  that 
from  the  Northwest.  They  had  another  trad- 
ing-house at  Caministiquia.^'*  As  we  proceed 
northwest  along  the  lake  the  mountains  re- 
cede widely  from  the  beach. 

On  the  twenty-fourth  I  left  the  northern 
shore  and  in  four  days  reached  the  Grand 
Portage.^^     The   intervening   islands    consist 

^*  At  the  mouth  of  the  Kaministiquia  River,  where 
Fort  William  now  stands.  The  latter  fort  was  erected 
by  the  North  West  Company  in  1804.  Here  yearly 
meetings  of  the  factors  of  the  Company  were  held,  the 
proceedings  at  which  have  been  charmingly  narrated 
by  Washington  Irving  in  Astoria. — Editor. 

^^  Grand  Portage  was  at  the  beginning  of  the  Piseon- 
Rainy  River  route  from  Lake  Superior  to  Lake  Winni- 
peg, a  few  miles  south  of  the  mouth  of  Pigeon  River. 
The  place  was  well  known  during  the  French  period,  and 
at  the  beginning  of  the  British  regime  it  became  an 
important  center  of  fur-trade  activities.  Jonathan  Car- 
ver found  many  traders  here  in  1767.  From  about  this 
time  until  the  establishment  of  Fort  William  in  1804 
Grand  Portage  was  the  center  of  the  fur  trade  of  the  far 
Northwest.  Its  decay  was  owing  to  the  discovery  that 
it  lay  south  of  the  boundary  between  Canada  and  the 
United  States;  since  British  traders  were  not  permitted 
to  operate  in  the  latter  country,  upon  this  discovery  they 
229 


^lerantier  l^cnrp 


almost  entirely  of  rock.  The  largest,  called 
He  au  Tonnerre,  or  Thunder  Island,  is  said 
by  the  Indians  to  be  peculiarly  subject  to 
thunder  storms.  At  the  Grand  Portage  I 
found  the  traders  in  a  state  of  extreme  recip- 
rocal hostility,  each  pursuing  his  interests  in 
ruch  a  manner  as  might  most  injure  his  neigh- 
bor. The  consequences  were  very  hurtful  to 
the  morals  of  the  Indians. 

The  transportation  of  the  goods  at  this 
grand  portage,  or  great  carrying-place,  was  a 
work  of  seven  days  of  severe  and  dangerous 
exertion,  at  the  end  of  which  we  encamped  on 
the  River  aux  Groseilles.'^®  The  Grand  Portage 
consists  in  two  ridges  of  land,  between  which  is 
a  deep  glen  or  valley  with  good  meadow  lands, 
and  a  broad  stream  of  water.  The  lowlands 
are  covered  chiefly  with  birch  and  poplar,  and 
the  high  with  pine.  I  was  now  in  what  is 
technically  called  the  Northwest;  that  is,  the 
country  northwest  of  Lake  Superior.  The 
canoes  here  employed  are  smaller  than  those 

were  forced  to  seek  headquarters  and  a  trade  route  to  the 
West  farther  north.  As  a  consequence  the  route  by  the 
Kaministiquia  River  was  opened,  and  Fort  William 
built  at  its  outlet. — Editor. 

^^  The  same  with  what  a  recent  traveler  describes  as 
the  "river  du  Tourt"  (Tourtre) — Dove  or  Pigeon 
River. — Author. 

Modern  Pigeon  River  was  first  named  Groseilliers, 
in  honor  of  the  first  French  explorer  in  this  region.  The 
form  of  the  name  given  in  Henry's  text  is,  of  course,  a 
corruption  of  this  name. — Editor. 

230 


which  are  used  between  Montreal  and  MichiH- 
mackinac  and  in  Lake  Superior,  being  only 
four  fathoms  and  a  half  in  length.  It  is  the 
duty  of  the  head  and  stern  men  to  carry  the 
canoe.  I  engaged  two  of  these  to  winter  with 
me,  at  the  wages  of  four  hundred  dollars  each 
and  an  equipment  of  the  value,  at  the  Grand 
Portage,  of  one  hundred  more. 

On  the  eighth  we  ascended  the  Groseilles  to 
the  carrying-place  called  the  Portage  du  Per- 
drix,  where  the  river  falls  down  a  precipice 
of  the  height  of  a  hundred  feet.  At  the  place 
where,  after  passing  the  Grand  Portage,  we 
first  launched  our  canoes  on  the  Groseilles  the 
stream  is  thirty  yards  wide.  From  this  spot  it 
proceeds  with  numerous  falls  to  Lake  Superior, 
which  it  enters  about  six  leagues  to  the  north- 
ward of  the  Grand  Portage. 

Next  day  at  the  Portage  aux  Outardes  we 
left  the  Groseilles,  and  carrying  our  canoes  and 
merchandise  for  three  miles  over  a  mountain, 
came  at  length  to  a  small  lake.  This  was  the 
beginning  of  a  chain  of  lakes  extending  for 
fifteen  leagues  and  separated  by  carrying- 
places  of  from  half  a  mile  to  three  miles  in 
length.  At  the  end  of  this  chain  we  reached  the 
heads  of  small  streams  which  flow  to  the  north- 
westward. The  region  of  the  lakes  is  called  the 
Hauteur  de  Terre,  or  Land's  Height.  It  is  an 
elevated  tract  of  country,  not  inclining  in  any 
direction,  and  diversified  on  its  surface  with 
small  hills.  The  wood  is  abundant  but  consists 
231 


^Icjranticr  l^cnrp 


principally  in  birch,  pine,  spruce,  fir,  and  a 
small  quantity  of  maple. 

By  the  twelfth  we  arrived  where  the  streams 
were  large  enough  to  float  the  canoes  with  their 
lading,  though  the  men  walked  in  the  water 
pushing  them  along.  Next  day  we  found  them 
sufficiently  navigable,  though  interrupted  by 
frequent  falls  and  carrying-places.  On  the 
twentieth  we  reached  Lake  Sagunac,  or  Sagi- 
naga,^^  distant  sixty  leagues  from  the  Grand 
Portage.  This  was  the  hithermost  post  in  the 
northwest  estabhshed  by  the  French,  and  there 
was  formerly  a  large  village  of  the  Chipewa 
here,  now  destroyed  by  the  Nadowessies.  I 
found  only  three  lodges  filled  with  poor,  dirty, 
and  almost  naked  inhabitants,  of  whom  I 
bought  fish  and  wild  rice,^^  which  latter  they 
had  in  great  abundance.  When  populous,  this 
village  used  to  be  troublesome  to  the  traders, 
obstructing  their  voyages  and  extorting  liquor 

*^  This  lake  lies  much  nearer  Lake  Superior  than  here 
indicated.  Apparently  modern  Lake  Nequaquon,  on 
the  boundary  of  St.  Louis  County,  Minnesota,  is  the 
point  reached  by  Henry. — Editor. 

^*  Folk  avoine,  avenafatua,  zizania  aquatica. — Author. 

The  wild  rice  plant,  here  mentioned,  was  widely 
distributed  over  the  continent  of  North  America,  and 
was  an  important  article  of  sustenance  for  many  tribes. 
It  is  still  widely  used  by  the  natives,  and  has  even 
become  an  article  of  civilized  commerce,  being  handled 
regularly  by  the  jobbing  houses  of  Chicago  and  other 
cities.  For  an  exhaustive  study  of  the  wild  rice  and  its 
use  see  Albert  E.  Jenks,  "Wild  Rice  Gatherers  of  the 
Upper  Lakes,"  in  Nineteenth  Annual  Report  of  Ameri- 

232 


Crabri^  anti  ^tibcnturc^ 

and  other  articles.^^  Lake  Sagunac  is  eight 
leagues  in  length  by  four  in  breadth.  The 
lands,  which  are  everywhere  covered  with 
spruce,  are  hilly  on  the  southwest  but  on  the' 
northeast  more  level.  My  men  were  by  this 
time  almost  exhausted  with  fatigue,  but  the 
chief  part  of  the  labor  was  fortunately  past. 

We  now  entered  Lake  a  la  Pluie,'"  which  is 
fifteen  leagues  long  by  five  broad.  Its  banks 
are  covered  with  maple  and  birch.  Our  en- 
campment was  at  the  mouth  of  the  lake,  where 
there  is  a  fall  of  water  of  forty  feet  called  the 
Chute  de  la  Chaudiere.  The  carrying-place  is 
two  hundred  yards  in  length.  On  the  next 
evening  we  encamped  at  Les  Fourches,  on  the 
River  a  la  Pluie,^^  where  there  was  a  village  of 

can  Bureau  of  Ethnology  (Washington,  1902),  1013- 
1137. — Editor. 

29  In  a  memorial  of  1 784  Benjamin  and  Joseph 
Frobisher  state  that  the  first  "adventurer"  who  went 
west  from  Mackinac  in  1 765  was  "  stopt  and  plundered  " 
by  the  Rainy  Lake  Indians.  The  second  attempt  was 
made  in  1767,  when  the  traders,  on  leaving  a  portion  of 
their  goods  at  Rainy  Lake,  were  permitted  to  proceed 
with  the  remainder.  In  1769  the  Frobishers  entered  the 
country  for  the  first  time,  and  were  themselves  plun- 
dered by  the  "still  ungovernable  and  rapacious "  natives 
of  Rainy  Lake.  From  1770  onward,  however,  the  trad- 
ers were  more  successful ;  the  reason  for  the  cessation  of 
the  hindrance  to  their  trade  is  evidently  suggested  here 
by  Henry. — Editor. 

'"  Modern  Rainy  Lake. — Editor. 

''  Modern  Rainy  River,  on  the  boundary  between 
Canada  and  the  United  States. — Editor. 

233 


^IcjcanDcr  l^cnrp 


Chippewa  of  fifty  lodges,  of  whom  I  bought 
canoes.  They  insisted  further  on  having  goods 
given  to  them  on  credit,  as  well  as  on  receiving 
some  presents.  The  latter  they  regarded  as  an 
established  tribute,  paid  them  on  account  of 
the  ability  which  they  possessed  to  put  a  stop 
to  all  trade  with  the  interior.  I  gave  them  rum, 
with  which  they  became  drunk  and  trouble- 
some; and  in  the  night  I  left  them. 

The  River  a  la  Pluie  is  forty  leagues  long,  of 
a  gentle  current,  and  broken  only  by  one  rapid. 
Its  banks  are  level  to  a  great  distance,  and 
composed  of  a  fine  soil,  which  was  covered  with 
luxuriant  grass.  They  were  perfect  solitudes, 
not  even  a  canoe  presenting  itself  along  my 
whole  navigation  of  the  stream.^-  I  was  greatly 
struck  with  the  beauty  of  the  stream  as  well  as 
with  its  fitness  for  agricultural  settlements, 
in  which  provisions  might  be  raised  for  the 
Northwest. 

On  the  thirtieth  we  reached  the  Lake  of  the 
Woods,  or  Lake  des  lies,  at  the  entrance  of 
which  was  an  Indian  village  of  a  hundred  souls, 
where  we  obtained  a  further  supply  of  fish. 
Fish  appeared  to  be  the  summer  food. 

From  this  village  we  received  ceremonious 
presents.    The  mode  with  the  Indians  is  first 

'^  The  scarcity  of  animal  life  in  this  vicinity  at  this 
season  of  the  year  has  been  remarked  by  many  explor- 
ers. Thus,  Keating,  in  1823,  did  not  meet  with  a  single 
quadruped  from  Rainy  Lake  to  Lake  Superior,  the  only 
animals  seen  being  thirty  or  forty  birds,  chiefly  ducks. — 
Editor. 

234 


€rabcl^  anU  ^Dbcnture^ 

to  collect  all  the  provisions  they  can  spare  and 
place  them  in  a  heap;  after  which  they  send  for 
the  trader  and  address  him  in  a  formal  speech. 
They  tell  him  that  the  Indians  are  happy  in 
seeing  him  .return  to  their  country;  that  they 
have  been  long  in  expectation  of  his  arrival; 
that  their  wives  have  deprived  themselves  of 
their  provisions  in  order  to  afiford  him  a  sup- 
ply; that  they  are  in  great  want,  being  des- 
titute of  everything,  and  particularly  of 
ammunition  and  clothing,  and  that  what  they 
most  long  for  is  a  taste  of  his  rum,  which  they 
uniformly  denominate  milk. 

The  present  in  return  consisted  in  one  keg 
of  gunpowder  of  sixty  pounds  weight;  a  bag 
of  shot  and  another  of  powder  of  eighty  pounds 
each;  a  few  smaller  articles,  and  a  keg  of  rum. 
The  last  appeared  to  be  the  chief  treasure, 
though  on  the  former  depended  the  greater 
part  of  their  winter's  subsistence. 

In  a  short  time  the  men  began  to  drink, 
while  the  women  brought  me  a  further  and 
very  valuable  present  of  twenty  bags  of  rice. 
This  I  returned  with  goods  and  rum,  and  at 
the  same  time  offered  more  for  an  additional 
quantity  of  rice.  A  trade  was  opened,  the 
women  bartering  rice  while  the  men  were 
drinking.  Before  morning  I  had  purchased  a 
hundred  bags  of  nearly  a  bushel  measure  each. 
Without  a  large  quantity  of  rice  the  voyage 
could  not  have  been  prosecuted  to  its  comple- 
tion. The  canoes,  as  I  have  already  observed, 

235 


^lerantier  I^cntp 


are  not  large  enough  to  carry  provisions, 
leaving  merchandise  wholly  out  of  the  ques- 
tion. The  rice  grows  in  shoal  water,  and  the 
Indians  gather  it  by  shaking  the  ears  into  their 
canoes. 

When  morning  arrived  all  the  village  was 
inebriated;  and  the  danger  of  misunderstand- 
ing was  increased  by  the  facility  with  which 
the  women  abandoned  themselves  to  my 
Canadians.  In  consequence  I  lost  no  time  in 
leaving  the  place. 

On  the  first  day  of  August  we  encamped  on  a 
sandy  island  in  the  Lake  of  the  Woods,  where 
we  were  visited  by  several  canoes,  of  whom  we 
purchased  wild  rice.  On  the  fourth  we  reached 
the  Portage  du  Rat. 

The  Lake  of  the  Woods  is  thirty-six  leagues 
long.  On  the  west  side  is  an  old  French  fort 
or  trading-house,^^  formerly  frequented  by 
numerous  bands  of  Chippewa,  but  these  have 
since  been  almost  entirely  destroyed  by  the 
Nadowessies.  When  strong  they  were  trouble- 
some. On  account  of  a  particular  instance  of 
pillage  they  have  been  called  Pilleurs.^   The 

"  This  was  Fort  St.  Charles,  built  by  the  French  in 
1732.  It  stood  on  the  north  bank  of  the  inlet  of  the 
Northwest  Angle,  west  of  Famine  (or  Buckett)  Island. 
— Editor. 

"  In  Warren's  History  of  the  Ojibways,  Chapter  XVI 
is  devoted  to  an  account  of  the  event  by  which  this  band 
of  the  Chippewa  won  the  designation  of  "Pillagers," 
and  the  affair  is  described  as  having  taken  place  in  1 781. 
Evidently  the  affair  had  become  a  matter  of   tribal 

236 


pelican  is  numerous  on  this  lake.  One  which 
we  shot  agreed  entirely  with  the  description  of 
M.  de  Buffon. 

On  the  fifth  we  passed  the  Portage  du  Rat,'^ 
which  is  formed  by  a  rock  of  about  twenty 
yards  long.  Here  we  met  several  canoes  of 
Indians,  who  all  begged  for  rum;  but  they 
were  known  to  belong  to  the  band  of  Pilleurs, 
also  called  the  rogues,  and  were  on  that  account 
refused. 

From  the  Portage  du  Rat  we  descended  the 
great  river  Winipegon  which  is  there  from  one 
mile  to  two  in  breadth  and  at  every  league 
grows  broader.  The  channel  is  deep,  but  ob- 
structed by  many  islands,  of  which  some  are 
large.  For  several  miles  the  stream  is  confined 
between  perpendicular  rocks.  The  current  is 
strong  and  the  navigation  singularly  difl&cult. 
Within  the  space  of  fifteen  leagues  there  are 
seven  falls  of  from  fifty  feet  to  a  hundred  in 
height.  At  sixty  leagues  from  our  entrance  of 
the  Winipegon  we  crossed  a  carrying-place 
into  the  Pinawa,*^  below  which  the  dangers 
traditions  for  Henry's  narrative  discloses  that  the  name 
was  in  use  at  a  somewhat  earlier  date. — Editor. 

'*  The  name  is  said  to  have  originated  from  the  fact  of 
muskrats  crossing  here  in  large  numbers.  Rat  Portage 
is  near  the  northern  end  of  Lake  of  the  Woods.  Here 
the  main  line  of  the  Canadian  Pacific  Railway  crosses 
from  the  town  of  Rat  Portage  to  Keewatin  on  the  oppo- 
site side  of  the  river. — Editor. 

'*  The  Pinawa  River  is  a  branch  of  the  Winnipeg 
which  was  commonly  followed  by  the  traders  as  far  as 
Bonnet  Lake,  who  avoided  thereby  seven  dangerous 
237 


^Iqrantier  i^enrp 


of  the  Winipegon  are  still  further  increased. 
The  adjacent  lands  are  mountainous  and  rocky, 
but  some  of  the  high  hills  are  well  covered  with 
birch  and  maple. 

The  stream  of  the  Pinawa  is  shallow  and  its 
bed  rocky  and  broken.  The  carrying-places 
are  eight  in  number.  The  mosquitoes  were 
here  in  such  clouds  as  to  prevent  us  from  taking 
aim  at  the  ducks,  of  which  we  might  else  have 
shot  many. 

On  the  thirteenth  we  encamped  at  the  Carry- 
ing-place of  the  Lost  Child.  Here  is  a  chasm 
in  the  rock,  nowhere  more  than  two  yards  in 
breadth,  but  of  great  and  immeasurable  depth. 
The  Indians  relate  that  many  ages  past  a  child 
fell  into  this  chasm,  from  the  bottom  of  which 
it  is  still  heard  at  times  to  cry.  In  all  the  wet 
lands  wild  rice  grows  plentifully. 

The  Pinawa  is  twenty  leagues  long,  and  dis- 
charges itself  into  Lake  du  Bonnet  ^^  at  three 
leagues  to  the  north  of  the  mouth  of  the  Wini- 
pegon, which  falls  into  the  same  lake,  or  rather 
forms  it;  for  Lake  du  Bonnet  is  only  a  broad- 
ened part  of  the  channel  of  the  Winipegon.  The 
lake  is  two  leagues  broad,  and  the  river  in  its 
course  below  continues  broader  than  it  is 
above,  with  many  islands  and  deep  falls;  the 

portages  in  this  portion  of  the  Winnipeg,  and  saved,  in 
addition,  several  miles  of  travel. — Editor. 

'^  Cap  Lake,  in  some  maps  written  Cat  Lake. — Author. 

Instead  of  twenty  leagues,  the  Pinawa  is  but  eighteen 
miles  long. — Editor. 

238 


€rabd^  anti  ^tibenturc^ 

danger  of  the  navigation,  however,  is  lessened. 

On  the  sixteenth  we  reached  Lake  Wini- 
pegon,  at  the  entrance  of  which  is  a  large 
village  of  Christinaux,  a  nation  which  I  had 
not  previously  seen.  The  name  is  variously 
written;  as,  Cristinaux,  Kinistineaux,  Killis- 
tinoes,  and  Killistinaux.  Lake  Winipegon  is 
sometimes  called  the  Lake  of  the  Killistinons, 
or  Cristinaux.  The  dress  and  other  exterior 
appearances  of  the  Cristinaux  are  very  dis- 
tinguishable from  those  of  the  Chippewa  and 
the  Wood  Indians. 

The  men  were  almost  entirely  naked,  and 
their  bodies  painted  with  a  red  ocher,  procured 
in  the  mountains  and  often  called  vermilion. 
Every  man  and  boy  had  his  bow  strung  and  in 
his  hand,  and  his  arrow  ready  to  attack  in  case 
of  need.  Their  heads  were  shaved  or  the  hair 
plucked  out  all  over  except  a  spot  on  the  crown 
of  the  diameter  of  a  dollar.  On  this  spot  the 
hair  grew  long  and  was  rolled  and  gathered 
into  a  tuft;  and  the  tuft,  which  is  an  object  of 
the  greatest  care,  was  covered  with  a  piece  of 
skin.  The  ears  were  pierced  and  filled  with  the 
bones  of  fish  and  of  land  animals.  Such  was 
the  costume  of  the  young  men;  but  among  the 
old,  some  let  their  hair  grow  on  all  parts  of 
their  head  without  any  seeming  regard. 

The  women  wear  their  hair  of  a  great  length 
both  behind  and  before,  dividing  it  on  the  fore- 
head and  at  the  back  of  the  head,  and  collecting 
the  hair  of  each  side  into  a  roll  which  is  fastened 

239 


3l!c]cantier  ©cnrp 


above  the  ear;  and  this  roll,  like  the  tuft  on  the 
heads  of  the  men,  is  covered  with  a  piece  of 
skin.  The  skin  is  painted  or  else  ornamented 
with  beads  of  various  colors.  The  rolls  with 
their  coverings  resembled  a  pair  of  large  horns. 
The  ears  of  the  women  are  pierced  and  de- 
corated like  those  of  the  men. 

Their  clothing  is  of  leather,  or  dressed  skins 
of  the  wild  ox  and  the  elk.  The  dress,  falling 
from  the  shoulders  to  below  the  knee,  is  of  one 
entire  piece.  Girls  of  an  early  age  wear  their 
dresses  shorter  than  those  more  advanced. 
The  same  garment  covers  the  shoulders  and 
the  bosom,  and  is  fastened  by  a  strap  which 
passes  over  the  shoulders;  it  is  confined  about 
the  waist  by  a  girdle.  The  stockings  are  of 
leather,  made  in  the  fashion  of  leggings.  The 
arms  to  the  shoulders  are  left  naked,  or  are 
provided  with  sleeves,  which  are  sometimes 
put  on  and  sometimes  suffered  to  hang  vacant 
from  the  shoulders.  The  wrists  are  adorned 
with  bracelets  of  copper  or  brass,  manufac- 
tured from  old  kettles.  In  general,  one  person 
is  worth  but  one  dress;  and  this  is  worn  as  long 
as  it  will  last  or  till  a  new  one  is  made,  and  then 
thrown  away. 

The  women,  like  the  men,  paint  their  faces 
with  red  ocher,  and  in  addition  usually  tattoo 
two  lines  reaching  from  the  Up  to  the  chin  or 
from  the  corners  of  the  mouth  to  the  ears. 
They  omit  nothing  to  make  themselves 
lovely. 

240 


Meanwhile,  a  favorite  employment  is  that  of 
waging  war  with  certain  animals,  which  are  in 
abundance  on  their  persons  and  which,  as  they 
catch,  they  eat.  To  frequent  inquiries  as  to 
the  motive  for  eating  them  I  was  always 
answered  that  they  afforded  a  medicinal  food 
and  great  preventive  of  diseases. 

Such  are  the  exterior  beauties  of  the  female 
Cristinaux;  and  not  content  with  the  power 
belonging  to  these  attractions  they  conde- 
scend to  beguile  with  gentle  looks  the  hearts  of 
passing  strangers.  The  men,  too,  unlike  the 
Chippewa  (who  are  of  a  jealous  temper) 
eagerly  encourage  them  in  this  design.  One 
of  the  chiefs  assured  me  that  the  children 
borne  by  their  women  to  Europeans  were 
bolder  warriors  and  better  hunters  than  them- 
selves. 

The  Cristinaux  have  usually  two  wives  each, 
and  often  three;  and  make  no  difficulty  in 
lending  one  of  them,  for  a  length  of  time  to  a 
friend.  Some  of  my  men  entered  into  agree- 
ments with  the  respective  husbands  in  virtue 
of  which  they  embarked  the  women  in  their 
canoes,  promising  to  return  them  the  next 
year.  The  women  so  selected  consider  them- 
selves as  honored,  and  the  husband  who  should 
refuse  to  lend  his  wife  would  fall  under  the 
condemnation  of  the  sex  in  general. 

The  language  of  the  Cristinaux  is  a  dialect 
of  the  Algonquin,  and  therefore  bears  some 
afl&nity  to  that  of  the  Chippewa,  which  is 
241 


^IcjcanDcr  l^cnrp 


another  dialect  of  the  same.   In  the  Northwest 
it  is  commonly  called  Cree  or  Cris. 


242 


Cl^apter  9 

FROM  LAKE  WINNIPEG  TO  BEAVER  LAKE 

THE  Cristinaux  made  me  the  usual  pres- 
ents of  wild  rice  and  dried  meat,  and 
accompanied  them  with  the  usual  for- 
maUties.  I  remained  at  their  village  two  days 
repairing  my  canoes;  and  though  they  were 
drunk  the  whole  time  they  behaved  very  peace- 
ably and  gave  me  no  annoyance.  I  observed 
that  two  men  constantly  attended  us,  and  that 
these  individuals  could  not  be  prevailed  upon 
to  taste  liquor.  They  had  been  assigned  us  for 
a  guard,  and  they  would  not  allow  any  drunken 
Indian  to  approach  our  camp. 

On  the  eighteenth  of  August  I  left  these 
amicable  people,  among  whom  an  intercourse 
with  Europeans  appeared  to  have  occasioned 
less  deviation  from  their  primitive  manners 
than  in  any  instance  which  I  had  previously 
discovered.  I  kept  the  north  side  of  the  lake, 
and  had  not  proceeded  far  before  I  was  joined 
by  Mr.  Pond,  a  trader  of  some  celebrity  in  the 
Northwest.*^  Next  day  we  encountered  a 
'8  Peter  Pond  was  a  native  of  Milford,  Connecticut, 
born  in  1740.  He  enlisted  for  the  Seven  Years'  War, 
and  at  its  conclusion,  turned  his  attention  to  the  sea. 
Before  long,  however,  he  engaged  in  the  Indian  trade  at 
Detroit  and  other  points,  and  in  1773  came  out  to 
Wisconsin  and  Minnesota  on  a  new  venture.  In  1 775  he 

243 


^leranticr  i^ntrp 


severe  gale,  from  the  dangers  of  which  we 
escaped  by  making  the  island  called  the  Buf- 
falo's Head;  but  not  without  the  loss  of  a 
canoe  and  four  men.  The  shores  from  the 
entrance  of  this  lake  to  the  island  with  excep- 
tion of  the  points  are  rocky  and  lofty;  the 
points  are  rocky,  but  low.  The  wood  is  pine 
and  fir.  We  took  pouts,  cat-fish,  or  catheads,  of 
six  pounds  weight. 

On  the  twenty-first  we  crossed  to  the  south 
shore  and  reached  Oak  Point,  so  called  from  a 
few  scrub  oaks  which  here  begin  to  diversify 
the  forest  of  pine  and  fir.  The  pelicans,  which 
we  everywhere  saw,  appeared  to  be  impatient 
of  the  long  stay  we  made  in  fishing.  Leaving 
the  island,  we  found  the  lands  along  the  shore 

went  into  the  Lake  Winnipeg  region  for  the  first  time, 
where  he  encountered  Henry.  Three  years  later  all  the 
traders  of  this  district,  including  Pond,  met  at  Sturgeon 
Lake  and  agreed  to  pool  their  interests.  This  was  the 
beginning  of  the  famous  North  West  Company.  Pond 
was  a  man  of  pugnacious  disposition.  In  the  Detroit 
period  of  his  trading  career  he  fought  a  duel  in  which 
his  opponent  fell,  and  which  caused  Pond  to  leave  the 
country.  In  1782  he  shot  and  killed  a  trader  named 
Wadin,  with  whom  he  had  had  a  quarrel.  Wadin's 
widow  applied  for  a  trial  and  Pond  was  sent  to  Quebec 
to  stand  trial,  but  was  acquitted  for  lack  of  jurisdiction. 
Returning  to  the  Northwest,  he  killed  John  Ross,  a  well- 
known  trader,  in  a  duel  fought  at  Great  Slave  Lake  in 
1787.  The  next  year  he  sold  his  interest  in  the  North 
West  Company  and  retired  to  the  United  States,  dying 
at  his  native  Milford  in  1807.  Pond's  journal  of  his 
earlier  years  in  the  army  and  the  fur  trade  is  printed  in 
Wis.  Hist.  Colls.,  XVIII,  314-54.— Editor. 

244 


low  and  wooded  with  birch  and  marsh  maple 
intermixed  with  spruce-fir.  The  beach  is 
gravelly,  and  the  points  rocky. 

To  the  westward  of  Pike  River,  which  we 
passed  on  the  first  of  September,  is  a  rock  of 
great  length,  called  the  Roche  Rouge,  and 
entirely  composed  of  a  pihre  a  calumet,  or 
stone  used  by  the  Indians  for  making  tobacco- 
pipe  bowls.  It  is  of  a  light  red  color,  inter- 
spersed with  veins  of  brown,  and  yields  very 
readily  to  the  knife. 

On  the  seventh  of  September  we  were  over- 
taken by  Messrs.  Joseph  and  Thomas  Fro- 
bisher^^  and  Mr.  Patterson.^"  On  the  twentieth 
we  crossed  the  bay  together,  composing  a  fleet 
of  thirty  canoes  and  a  hundred  and  thirty  men. 
We  were  short  of  provisions. 

On  the  twenty-first  it  blew  hard  and  snow 
began  to  fall.    The  storm  continued  till  the 

3'  The  brothers  Frobisher,  Joseph,  Thomas,  and 
Benjamin,  were  among  the  early  British  traders  to 
come  into  the  Northwest.  Joseph  and  Thomas  founded 
the  firm  of  Frobisher  Brothers,  but  in  1778  Thomas 
retired  and  Benjamin  succeeded  him.  Joseph  and 
Benjamin  were  active  in  the  formation  of  the  North 
West  Company.  Joseph  was  a  noted  explorer  of  western 
Canada,  tie  retired  from  the  fur  trade  in  1 798,  living 
thereafter  at  Montreal. — Editor. 

^'^  Charles  Patterson  was  another  early  British  trader 
in  the  Northwest,  and  one  of  the  founders  of  the  North 
West  Company.  In  1788  he  was  drowned  with  his 
entire  crew  in  Lake  Michigan  near  a  place  still  known 
as  Patterson's  Point,  in  western  Mackinac  County, 
Michigan. — Editor. 

245 


^Icxantier  l^cnrp 


twenty-fifth,  by  which  time  the  small  lakes 
were  frozen  over  and  two  feet  of  snow  lay  on 
level  ground  in  the  woods.  This  early  severity 
of  the  season  filled  us  with  serious  alarm,  for 
the  country  was  uninhabited  for  two  hundred 
miles  on  every  side  of  us  and  if  detained  by 
winter  our  destruction  was  certain.  In  this 
state  of  peril  we  continued  our  voyage  day 
and  night.  The  fears  of  our  men  were  a  suffi- 
cient motive  for  their  exertions. 

On  the  first  of  October  we  gained  the 
mouth  of  the  River  de  Bourbon,  Pasquayah,  or 
Sascatchiwaine  ^^  and  proceeded  to  ascend  its 
stream.  The  Bourbon  is  a  large  river  and  has 
its  sources  to  the  westward.^  The  lands  which 
we  passed  after  the  twenty-first  of  September 
are  more  hilly  and  rocky  than  those  described 
before.  The  trees  are  poplar  and  spruce.  The 
rocks  are  chiefly  of  Hmestone.  Our  course  from 
the  entrance  of  Lake  Winipegon  was  north- 
west northerly.  The  lake  contains  sturgeon, 
but  we  were  not  able  to  take  any.  At  four 
leagues  above  the  mouth  of  the  river  is  the 
Grand  Rapide,  two  leagues  in  length,  up  which 
the  canoes  are  dragged  with  ropes.  At  the  end 
of  this  is  a  carrying-place  of  two  miles,  through 

^^  The  lower  part  of  the  Sascatchiwaine  was  once 
called  the  River  de  Bourbon.  Pasquayah  is  the  name 
of  an  upper  portion  of  the  Sascatchiwaine. — Author. 

^  The  river  is  the  modern  Saskatchewan,  which 
gives  name  to  a  province  of  Canada  and  drains  a  vast 
area  between  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  Lake  Winni- 
peg.— Editor. 

246 


a  forest  almost  uniformly  of  pine  trees.  Here 
we  met  with  Indians  fishing  for  sturgeon. 
Their  practice  is  to  watch  behind  the  points 
where  the  current  forms  an  eddy,  in  which  the 
sturgeon,  coming  to  rest  themselves,  are 
easily  speared.  The  soil  is  light  and  sandy. 
A  vessel  of  any  burden  might  safely  navigate 
Lake  Winipegon  from  its  southwest  corner  to 
the  Grand  Rapide. 

Lake  Winipegon,  or  Winipic,  or  the  Lake 
of  the  KiUistinons,  or  Cristinaux,  empties  itself 
into  Hudson's  Bay  at  Fort  York  by  a  river 
sometimes  called  Fort  Nelson  River.  Its 
length  is  said  to  be  one  hundred  and  twenty 
leagues.  Its  breadth  is  unknown.  I  saw  no 
land  in  any  direction  after  leaving  Oak  Point. 

On  the  second  we  continued  our  voyage 
against  the  current  of  the  Bourbon,  which  was 
strong  and  interrupted  by  several  rapids.  On 
the  third  we  entered  Lake  de  Bourbon,  called 
by  the  EngHsh  after  the  Indians  Cedar  Lake. 
This  name  is  derived  from  the  cedar  tree 
{thuya)  which  covers  its  banks,  and  which  is 
not  found  to  the  northward  of  this  region. 

On  the  fourth  we  reached  the  opposite  ex- 
tremity of  Lake  de  Bourbon.  This  lake  is 
eighteen  leagues  in  length  and  has  many  deep 
bays  receding  to  the  northward.  The  land  by 
which  they  are  bordered  is  in  almost  all  in- 
stances out  of  sight.  Several  islands,  some  of 
which  are  large,  are  also  in  this  lake.  The 
shores  are  generally  rocky.    At  the  north  end 

247 


^IcjcanDer  J^mrp 


there  was  in  the  French  time  a  fort,  or  trading- 
house,  called  Fort  de  Bourbon  and  built  by 
M.  de  Saint  Pierre,  a  French  ofl&cer,  who  was 
the  first  adventurer  into  these  parts  of  the 
country.^ 

At  and  adjacent  to  this  fort  are  several  of 
the  mouths  of  the  river  Sascatchiwaine.  Here 
we  took  several  sturgeon,  using  a  seine  the 
meshes  of  which  were  large  enough  to  admit  the 
fish's  head  and  which  we  made  fast  to  two  canoes. 

On  the  sixth  we  ascended  the  Sascatchiwaine, 
the  current  of  which  was  here  only  moderately 
strong;  but  the  banks  were  marshy  and  over- 
flowed so  that  it  was  with  difficulty  we  found 
a  dry  space  large  enough  to  encamp  upon. 
Beaver  lodges  were  numerous,  and  the  river 
was  everywhere  covered  with  geese,  ducks,  and 
other  wild  fowl.  No  rising  ground  was  to  be 
seen  and  the  wood,  which  was  chiefly  willow, 
nowhere  exceeded  a  man's  wrist  in  thickness. 

On  the  eighth  we  resumed  our  voyage  before 
daylight,  making  all  speed  to  reach  a  fishing- 
place,  since  winter  was  very  fast  approaching. 
Meeting  two  canoes  of  Indians,  we  engaged 
them  to  accompany  us  as  hunters.  The  num- 
ber of  ducks  and  geese  which  they  killed  was 
absolutely  prodigious. 

^  In  1766  Carver  calls  Lake  de  Bourbon  "  the  most 
northward  of  those  yet  discovered." — Author. 

Pierre  Gaultier  de  Varennes,  Sieur  de  la  Vrendrye, 
notable  explorer  of  the  Canadian  Northwest,  estab- 
lished Fort  Bourbon  herein  1749.  The  Lake  is  now 
known  as  Cedar  Lake. — Editor. 


248 


€rai3clj0?  and  ^Dbenturejef 

At  eighty  leagues  above  Fort  de  Bourbon,  at 
the  head  of  a  stream  which  falls  into  the  Sas- 
catchiwaine  and  into  which  we  had  turned,  we 
found  the  Pasquayah  village.*^  It  consisted  of 
thirty  famihes,  lodged  in  tents  of  a  circular 
form  and  composed  of  dressed  ox-skins, 
stretched  upon  poles  twelve  feet  in  length,  and 
leaning  against  a  stake  driven  into  the  ground 
in  the  center. 

On  our  arrival  the  chief,  named  Chatique,  or 
the  PeHcan,  came  down  upon  the  beach  attend- 
ed by  thirty  followers,  all  armed  with  bows 
and  arrows  and  with  spears.  Chatique  was  a 
man  of  more  than  six  feet  in  height,  somewhat 
corpulent  and  of  a  very  doubtful  physiognomy. 
He  invited  us  to  his  tent,  and  we  observed  that 
he  was  particularly  anxious  to  bestow  his 
hospitalities  on  those  who  were  the  owners 
of  the  goods.  We  suspected  an  evil  design  but 
judged  it  better  to  lend  ourselves  to  the 
treachery  than  to  discover  fear.  We  entered 
the  lodge  accordingly,  and  soon  perceived  that 
we  were  surrounded  by  armed  men. 

Chatique  presently  rose  up  and  told  us  that 
he  was  glad  to  see  us  arrive;  that  the  young 
men  of  the  village  as  well  as  himself  had  long 
been  in  want  of  many  things  of  which  we  were 
possessed  in  abundance;  that  we  must  be  well 
aware  of  his  power  to  prevent  our  going  farther; 

"  At  the  junction  of  the  Pasquia  River  with  the 
Saskatchewan.    Here  the  French  built  Fort  Paskoyac 
before  1755.    It  is  the  site  of  modern  Pas  Mission  or 
Cumberland  Station. — Editor. 
249 


^kjcantiet  i^enrp 


that  if  we  passed  now  he  could  put  us  all  to 
death  on  our  return;  and  that  under  these  cir- 
cumstances he  expected  us  to  be  exceedingly- 
liberal  in  our  presents:  adding,  that  to  avoid 
misunderstanding  he  would  inform  us  of  what 
it  was  that  he  must  have.  It  consisted  in 
three  casks  of  gunpowder,  four  bags  of  shot  and 
ball,  two  bales  of  tobacco,  three  kegs  of  rum, 
and  three  guns,  together  with  knives,  flints, 
and  some  smaller  articles.  He  went  on  to  say 
that  he  had  before  now  been  acquainted  with 
white  men  and  knew  that  they  promised  more 
than  they  performed;  that  with  the  number  of 
men  which  he  had,  he  could  take  the  whole  of 
our  property  without  our  consent;  and  that, 
therefore,  his  demands  ought  to  be  regarded  as 
very  reasonable:  that  he  was  a  peaceable  man 
and  one  that  contented  himself  with  moderate 
views,  in  order  to  avoid  quarrels;  finally,  that 
he  desired  us  to  signify  our  assent  to  his  proposi- 
tion before  we  quitted  our  places. 

The  men  in  the  canoes  exceeded  the  Indians 
in  number,  but  they  were  unarmed  and  with- 
out a  leader;  our  consultation  was,  therefore, 
short,  and  we  promised  to  comply.  This  done, 
the  pipe  was  handed  round  as  usual  and  the 
omission  of  this  ceremony  on  our  entrance  had 
sufficiently  marked  the  intentions  of  Chatique. 
The  pipe  dismissed,  we  obtained  permission 
to  depart,  for  the  purpose  of  assorting  the 
presents;  and  these  bestowed,  or  rather  yielded 
up,  we  hastened  away  from  the  plunderers. 

250 


We  had  supposed  the  aflFair  finished,  but 
before  we  had  proceeded  two  miles  we  saw  a 
canoe  behind  us.  On  this  we  dropped  astern  to 
give  the  canoes  that  were  following  us  an 
opportunity  of  joining,  lest,  being  alone,  they 
should  be  insulted.  Presently,  however,  Cha- 
tique  in  a  soHtary  canoe  rushed  into  the  midst 
of  our  squadron  and  boarded  one  of  our  canoes, 
spear  in  hand,  demanding  a  keg  of  rum  and 
threatening  to  put  to  death  the  first  that  op- 
posed him.  We  saw  that  our  only  alternative 
was  to  kill  this  daring  robber  or  to  submit 
to  his  exaction.  The  former  part  would  have 
been  attended  with  very  mischievous  conse- 
quences, and  we  therefore  curbed  our  indigna- 
tion and  chose  the  latter.  On  receiving  the  rum, 
he  saluted  us  with  the  Indian  cry,  and  departed. 

Every  day  we  were  on  the  water  before  dawn 
and  paddled  along  till  dark.  The  nights  were 
frosty  and  no  provisions,  excepting  a  few  wild 
fowl,  were  to  be  procured.  We  were  in  daily  fear 
that  our  progress  would  be  arrested  by  the  ice. 

On  the  twenty-sixth  we  reached  Cumberland 
House,  one  of  the  factories  of  the  Hudson's 
Bay  Company,  seated  on  Sturgeon  Lake  in 
about  54°  north  latitude  and  102°  longitude 
west  from  Greenwich.  This  house  had  been 
built  the  year  before  by  Mr.  Hearne,  who  was 
now  absent  on  his  well-known  journey  of 
discovery.'*^   We  found  it  garrisoned  by  High- 

*^  Samuel  Hearne  made  his  notable  voyages  of 
exploration  from  Prince  of  Wales  Fort  to  the  Arctic 

251 


^llcxantJcr  l^enrp 


landers  from  the  Orkney  Islands,  and  under 
the  command  of  a  Mr.  Cockings,^^  by  whom, 
though  unwelcome  guests,^^  we  were  treated 
with  much  civiUty.  The  design  in  building 
this  house,  was  to  prevent  the  Indians  from 
dealing  with  the  Canadian  merchants,  and 
to  induce  them  to  go  to  Hudson's  Bay.    It  is 

Ocean  in  the  j^ears  1769-72.  He  established  Cumber- 
land House,  as  Henry  states,  but  this  was  two  years 
after,  rather  than  before  his  famous  exploration  to  the 
Arctic.  Cumberland  House,  says  Elliott  Coues,  was  at 
"the  focus  of  a  vast  network  of  waters  whose  strands 
radiate  in  every  direction.  A  canoe  could  start  from 
this  house,  and  with  no  portage  of  more  than  a  day's 
length  could  be  launched  on  the  Arctic  Ocean,  Hud- 
son's Bay,  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence,  or  Gulf  of  Mexico; 
and  without  much  greater  interruption  could  be  floated 
on  to  the  Pacific  Ocean." — Editor. 

■•^  Matthew  Cocking  was  a  trader  of  the  Hudson's  Bay 
Company  who  in  1 772-73  had  conducted  an  exploration 
from  York  Factory  southwestward  into  the  country  of 
the  Blackfeet.  The  discoveries  made  on  this  journey 
determined  the  Company  to  establish  Cumberland 
House  the  following  j'ear,  and  Cocking  was  placed  in 
command.  His  journal  of  his  journey  of  1772-7315 
printed  in  Royal  Society  of  Canada,  Proceedings  and 
Transactions,  Third  Series,  Vol.  II,  91-121. — Editor. 

■"  Cumberland  House  was  a  post  of  the  Hudson's 
Bay  Company,  by  whom  Henry  and  the  other  Canadian 
traders  were  regarded  as  interlopers.  The  North  West 
Company,  which  these  traders  were  shortly  to  create, 
conducted,  throughout  its  entire  history,  a  fierce  trade 
rivalry  with  the  older  firm,  which  reached  the  height, 
finally,  of  open  warfare  between  the  partisans  of  the 
two.  This  was  terminated  by  the  amalgamation  of  the 
North  West  with  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  in  1821. 
— Editor. 

252 


distant  one  hundred  leagues  from  Chatique  's 
village,  and  of  this  space  the  first  fifty  leagues 
comprise  lands  nearly  level  with  the  water;  but 
in  the  latter  the  surface  is  more  lofty,  rising  a 
hundred  feet  above  the  river,  and  increasing 
in  height  as  we  advanced.  The  soil  is  a  white  clay, 
mixed  with  sand.  The  wood  is  small  and  scanty. 

At  Cumberland  House  the  canoes  separated, 
M.  Cadotte  going  with  four  to  Fort  des  Prai- 
ries, Mr.  Pond  with  two  to  Fort  Dauphin, 
and  others  proceeding  on  still  different  routes. 
Messrs.  Frobisher  retained  six  and  myself  four, 
and  we  resolved  on  joining  our  stock  and  winter- 
ing together.  We  steered  for  the  river  Church- 
ill, or  Missinipi,  to  the  east  of  Beaver  Pake,  or 
Lake  aux  Castors. 

Sturgeon  Lake,*^  which  we  now  crossed,  is 
twenty  leagues  in  length.  On  the  east  are  high 
lands,  and  on  the  west  low  islands.  The  river 
Maligne  *^  falls  into  it.  This  we  ascended,  but 
not  without  much  labor  from  the  numerous 
rapids,  on  account  of  which  the  Canadians  in 
their  vexation  have  given  it  the  name  it  bears. 

We  crossed  Beaver  Lake  *"  on  the  first  day 
of  November,  and  the  very  next  morning  it 

*^  Now  known  as  Cumberland  Lake.  Its  principal 
northeastern  offset,  known  as  Namew  Lake,  is  the 
initial  one  of  the  great  chain  of  lakes  which,  says  Coues, 
"offer  a  practicable  thoroughfare"  to  Hudson  Bay 
and  the  Arctic  Ocean. — Editor. 

"  Modern  Sturgeon  Weir  River. — Editor. 

^"  Now  called  Amisk  Lake,  in  eastern  Saskatchewan. 
— Editor. 

253 


9llej:antier  i^enrp 


was  frozen  over.  Happily  we  were  now  at  a 
place  abounding  with  fish,  and  here,  therefore, 
we  resolved  on  wintering. 

Our  first  object  was  to  procure  food.  We 
had  only  three  days'  stock  remaining  and  we 
were  forty-three  persons  in  number.  Our  forty 
men  were  divided  into  three  parties,  of  which 
two  were  detached  to  the  River  aux  Castors,^^ 
on  which  the  ice  was  strong  enough  to  allow  of 
setting  the  nets,  in  the  manner  heretofore 
described.  The  third  party  was  employed  in 
building  our  house,  or  fort;  and  in  this  within 
ten  days  we  saw  ourselves  commodiously 
lodged.  Indeed,  we  had  almost  built  a  village; 
or,  in  soberer  terms,  we  had  raised  buildings 
round  a  quadrangle  such  as  really  assumed  in 
the  wilds  which  encompassed  it  a  formidable 
appearance.  In  front  was  the  house  designed 
for  Messrs.  Frobisher  and  myself;  and  the  men 
had  four  houses,  of  which  one  was  placed  on 
each  side  and  two  in  the  rear. 

Our  canoes  were  disposed  of  on  scaffolds, 
for  the  ground  being  frozen  we  could  not  bury 
them,  as  is  the  usual  practice,  and  which  is 
done  to  protect  them  from  that  severity  of  cold 
which  occasions  the  bark  to  contract  and  split. 

The  houses  being  finished,  we  divided  the 
men  anew,  making  four  parties  of  nine  each. 

"  Still  known  by  the  English  equivalent  of  Beaver 
River.  It  was  early  an  important  trade  route,  since  by 
its  headwaters  there  is  an  easy  portage  to  Lac  la  Biche, 
which  drains  into  the  Athabasca  River. — Editor. 

254 


Four  were  retained  as  wood  cutters;  and  each 
party  was  to  provide  for  its  own  subsistence. 

Our  fishing  was  very  successful.  We  took 
trout  of  the  weight  of  from  ten  to  fifty  pounds, 
whitefish  of  five  pounds,  and  pike  of  the  usual 
size.  There  were  also  pickerel,  called  poissons 
dores  (gilt  fish)  and  sturgeon,  but  of  the  last 
we  caught  only  one.  The  Indians  soon  after 
our  arrival  killed  two  elks,  otherwise  called 
moose-deer.  ^2 

Lake  aux  Castors,  or  Beaver  Lake,  is  seven 
leagues  in  length  and  from  three  to  five  in 
breadth.  It  has  several  islands,  of  which  the 
largest  does  not  exceed  a  mile  in  circumference. 
The  lands  on  either  shore  are  mountainous  and 
rocky. 

Messrs.  Frobisher  and  myself  were  con- 
tinually employed  in  fishing.  We  made  holes 
in  the  ice  and  took  trout  with  the  line  in  twenty 
and  thirty  fathoms  water,  using  whitefish  of  a 
pound  weight  for  our  bait,  which  we  sunk  to 
the  bottom,  or  very  near  it. 

In  this  manner  I  have  at  times  caught  more 
than  twenty  large  trout  a  day,  but  my  more 
usual  mode  was  that  of  spearing.  By  one 
means  or  other  fish  was  plenty  with  us,  but  we 
suffered  severely  from  the  cold  in  fishing.  On 
the  twenty-fifth  the  frost  was  so  excessive  that 
we  had  nearly  perished.  Fahrenheit's  ther- 
mometer was  at  32°  below  in  the  shade;  the 

^-  Cerviis  alces. — Author. 


^kjcantjcr  l^enrp 


mercury  contracted  one-eighth,  and  for  four 
days  did  not  rise  into  the  tube. 

Several  Indians  brought  beaver  and  bears' 
meat,  and  some  skins  for  sale.  Their  practice 
was  to  remain  with  us  one  night  and  leave  us 
in  the  morning. 


256 


Cl^apter  lo 

FROM  BEAVER  LAKE  TO  THE  PRAIRIES 

THE  plains,  or  as  the  French  denominate 
them  the  prairies,  or  meadows,  compose 
an  extensive  tract  of  country  which  is 
watered  by  the  Elk  or  Athabasca,  the  Sascat- 
chiwaine,  the  Red  River  and  others,  and  runs 
southward  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  On  my  first 
setting  out  for  the  Northwest  I  promised  my- 
self to  visit  this  region,  and  I  now  prepared 
to  accomplish  the  undertaking.  Long  journeys 
on  the  snow  are  thought  of  but  as  trifles  in 
this  part  of  the  world. 

On  the  first  day  of  January,  1776, 1  left  our 
fort  on  Beaver  Lake,  attended  by  two  men  and 
provided  with  dried  meat,  frozen  fish,  and  a 
small  quantity  of  prahne,  made  of  roasted 
maize  rendered  palatable  with  sugar,  and  which 
I  had  brought  from  the  Sault  de  Ste.  Marie  for 
this  express  occasion.  The  kind  and  friendly 
disposition  of  Mr.  Joseph  Frobisher  induced 
him  to  bear  me  company  as  far  as  Cumberland 
House,  a  journey  of  a  hundred  and  twenty 
miles.  Mr.  Frobisher  was  attended  by  one 
man. 

Our  provisions  were  drawn  by  the  men  upon 
sledges  made  of  thin  boards,  a  foot  in  breadth 
and  curved  upward  in  front  after  the  Indian 

257 


^lerantier  l^cnrp 


fashion.  Our  clothing  for  night  and  day  was 
nearly  the  same;  and  the  cold  was  so  intense 
that,  exclusively  of  warm  woolen  clothes,  we 
were  obliged  to  wrap  ourselves  continually  in 
beaver  blankets,  or  at  least  in  ox  skins,  which 
the  traders  call  bufalo  robes.  At  night  we  made 
our  first  encampment  at  the  head  of  the  Ma- 
ligne,  where  one  of  our  parties  was  fishing  with 
but  very  indifferent  success. 

On  the  following  evening  we  encamped  at 
the  mouth  of  the  same  river.  The  snow  was 
four  feet  deep,  and  we  found  it  impossible 
to  keep  ourselves  warm  even  with  the  aid  of  a 
large  fire. 

On  the  fourth  day  as  well  of  the  month  as 
of  our  journey,  we  arrived  at  Cumberland 
House.  Mr.  Cockings  received  us  with  much 
hospitality,  making  us  partake  of  all  he  had, 
which  however  was  but  little.  Himself  and  his 
men  subsisted  wholly  upon  fish,  in  which  stur- 
geon bore  the  largest  proportion,  and  this  was 
caught  near  the  house.  The  next  morning  I 
took  leave  of  Mr.  Frobisher,  who  is  certainly 
the  first  man  that  ever  went  the  same  distance 
in  such  a  cHmate  and  upon  snowshoes  to  con- 
voy a  friend. 

From  Cumberland  House  I  pursued  a  west- 
erly course  on  the  ice,  following  the  southern 
bank  of  Sturgeon  Lake  till  I  crossed  the  neck  of 
land  by  which  alone  it  is  separated  from  the 
great  river  Pasquayah,  or  Sascatchiwaine.  In 
the  evening  I  encamped  on  the  north  bank  of 

258 


this  river  at  the  distance  of  ten  leagues  from 
Cumberland  House. 

The  depth  of  the  snow  and  the  intenseness 
of  the  cold  rendered  my  progress  so  much 
slower  than  I  had  reckoned  upon  that  I  soon 
began  to  fear  the  want  of  provisions.  The  sun 
did  not  rise  till  half  past  nine  o'clock  in  the 
morning  and  it  set  at  half  past  two  in  the  after- 
noon; it  is,  however,  at  no  time  wholly  dark 
in  these  cHmates,  the  northern  hghts  and  the 
reflection  of  the  snow  affording  always  suffi- 
cient Ught  for  the  traveler.  Add  to  this  that 
the  river,  the  course  of  which  I  was  ascending, 
waa  a  guide  with  the  aid  of  which  I  could  not 
lose  my  way.  Every  day's  journey  was  com- 
menced at  three  o'clock  in  the  morning. 

I  was  not  far  advanced  before  the  country 
betrayed  some  approaches  to  the  characteristic 
nakedness  of  the  plains.  The  wood  dwindled 
away  both  in  size  and  quantit} ,  so  that  it  was 
with  difl&culty  that  we  could  collect  sufficient 
for  making  a  fire,  and  without  fire  we  could 
not  drink,  for  melted  snow  was  our  only  re- 
source, the  ice  on  the  river  being  too  thick 
to  be  penetrated  by  the  axe. 

On  the  evening  of  the  sixth,  the  weather 
continuing  severely  cold,  I  made  my  two  men 
sleep  on  the  same  skin  with  myself,  one  on 
each  side;  and  though  this  arrangement  was 
particularly  beneficial  to  myself,  it  increased 
the  comfort  of  all.  At  the  usual  hour  in  the 
morning  we  attempted  to  rise,  but  found  that 

259 


^leranticr  J^cnrp 


a  foot  of  snow  had  fallen  upon  our  bed,  as  well 
as  extinguished  and  covered  our  fire.  In  this 
situation  we  remained  till  daybreak,  when  with 
much  exertion  we  collected  fresh  fuel.  Pro- 
ceeding on  our  journey,  we  found  that  the  use 
of  our  sledges  had  become  impracticable 
through  the  quantity  of  newly  fallen  snow,  and 
were  now  constrained  to  carry  our  provisions 
on  our  backs.  Unfortunately,  they  were  a 
diminished  burden. 

For  the  two  days  succeeding  the  depth  of  the 
snow  and  the  violence  of  the  winds  greatly 
retarded  our  journey;  but  from  the  ninth  to 
the  twelfth  the  elements  were  less  hostile,  and 
we  traveled  rapidly.  No  trace  of  anything 
human  presented  itself  on  our  road,  except 
that  we  saw  the  old  wintering-ground  of 
Mr.  Finlay,^^  who  had  left  it  some  years  before 
and  was  now  stationed  at  Fort  des  Prairies. 
This  fort  was  the  stage  we  had  to  make  before 
we  could  enter  the  prairies,  or  plains;  and  on 
examining  our  provisions  we  found  only  suf- 
ficient for  five  days,  while  even  at  the  swiftest 
rate  we  had  traveled,  a  journey  of  twelve  days 
was  before  us.  My  men  began  to  fear  being 
starved,  as  seeing  no  prospect  of  relief;  but 
I  endeavored  to  maintain  their  courage  by 
''  James  Finlay,  one  of  the  earliest  English  traders  to 
penetrate  to  this  portion  of  Canada.  Matthew  Cock- 
ing's  journal  shows  that  he  was  here  as  early  as  1767. 
He  later  retired  to  Montreal,  where  he  became  a 
prominent  citizen.  Finlay  River  is  named  for  his  son 
James,  who  entered  the  fur  trade  in  1785. — Editor. 

260 


€rab0i^  and  ^Dbeiiturcja? 

representing  that  I  should  certainly  kill  red 
deer  and  elk,  of  which  the  tracks  were  visible 
along  the  banks  of  the  river  and  on  the  sides  of 
the  hills.  What  I  hoped  for  in  this  respect  it 
was  not  easy  to  accomplish,  for  the  animals 
kept  within  the  shelter  of  the  woods  and  the 
snow  was  too  deep  to  let  me  seek  them  there. 

On  the  fifteenth  our  situation  was  rendered 
still  more  alarming  by  the  commencement  of  a 
fresh  fall  of  snow,  which  added  nearly  two  feet 
to  the  depth  of  that  which  was  on  the  ground 
before.  At  the  same  time,  we  were  scarcely  able 
to  collect  enough  wood  for  making  a  fire  to 
melt  the  snow.  The  only  trees  around  us  were 
starveling  willows,  and  the  hills  which  dis- 
covered themselves  at  a  small  distance  were 
bare  of  every  vegetable  production,  such  as 
could  rear  itself  above  the  snow.  Their  ap- 
pearance was  rather  that  of  lofty  snow-banks, 
than  of  hills.  We  were  now  on  the  borders  of 
the  plains. 

On  the  twentieth  the  last  remains  of  our 
provisions  were  expended,  but  I  had  taken  the 
precaution  to  conceal  a  cake  of  chocolate  in 
reserve  for  an  occasion  Hke  that  which  was 
now  arrived.  Toward  evening  my  men,  after 
walking  the  whole  day,  began  to  lose  their 
strength,  but  we  nevertheless  kept  on  our  feet 
till  it  was  late;  and  when  we  encamped  I  in- 
formed them  of  the  treasure  which  was  still  in 
store.  I  desired  them  to  fill  the  kettle  with 
snow,  and  argued  with  them  the  while  that  the 

261 


9lleranlier  l^enrp 


chocolate  would  keep  us  alive  for  five  days  at 
least,  an  interval  in  which  we  should  surely 
meet  "v^dth  some  Indian  at  the  chase.  Their 
spirits  revived  at  the  suggestion,  and  the  kettle 
being  filled  with  two  gallons  of  water,  I  put 
into  it  one  square  of  chocolate.  The  quantity 
was  scarcely  sufl5cient  to  alter  the  color  of  the 
water;  but  each  of  us  drank  half  a  gallon  of  the 
warm  liquor,  by  which  we  were  much  refreshed, 
and  in  its  enjoyment  felt  no  more  the  fa- 
tigues of  the  day.  In  the  morning  we  allowed 
ourselves  a  similar  repast,  after  finishing  which 
we  marched  vigorously  for  six  hours.  But  now 
the  spirits  of  my  companions  again  deserted 
them  and  they  declared  that  they  neither 
would  nor  could  proceed  any  farther.  For  my- 
self, they  advised  me  to  leave  them  and  accom- 
plish the  journey  as  I  could,  but  for  them- 
selves they  said  that  they  must  die  soon  and 
might  as  well  die  where  they  were  as  anywhere 
else. 

While  things  were  in  this  melancholy  posture 
I  filled  the  kettle  and  boiled  another  square  of 
chocolate.  When  prepared,  I  prevailed  upon 
my  desponding  companions  to  return  to  their 
warm  beverage.  On  taking  it  they  recovered 
inconceivably,  and  after  smoking  a  pipe  con- 
sented to  go  forward.  While  their  stomachs 
were  comforted  by  the  warm  water  they 
walked  well;  but  as  evening  approached, 
fatigue  overcame  them  and  they  relapsed  into 
their  former  condition;  and  the  chocolate  now 

262 


€xaM^  ant!  SlDbcnturc^ 

being  almost  entirely  consumed  I  began  to  fear 
that  I  must  really  abandon  them;  for  I  was 
able  to  endure  more  hardship  than  they;  and 
had  it  not  been  for  keeping  company  wdth  them 
I  could  have  advanced  double  the  distance 
within  the  time  which  had  been  spent.  To 
my  great  joy,  however,  the  usual  quantity  of 
warm  water  revived  them. 

For  breakfast  the  next  morning  I  put  the 
last  square  of  chocolate  into  the  kettle,  and 
our  meal  finished,  we  began  our  march  in  but 
very  indifferent  spirits.  We  were  surrounded 
by  large  herds  of  wolves,  which  sometimes 
came  close  upon  us,  and  who  knew,  as  we  were 
prone  to  think,  the  extremity  in  which  we  were 
and  marked  us  for  their  prey ;  but  I  carried  a  gun 
and  this  was  our  protection.  I  fired  several 
times  but  unfortunately  missed  at  each,  for  a 
morsel  of  wolf 's  flesh  would  have  afforded  us 
a  banquet. 

Our  misery,  nevertheless,  was  still  nearer  its 
end  than  we  imagined,  and  the  event  was  such 
as  to  give  one  of  the  innumerable  proofs  that 
despair  is  not  made  for  man.  Before  sunset  we 
discovered  on  the  ice  some  remains  of  the  bones 
of  an  elk,  left  there  by  the  wolves.  Having 
instantly  gathered  them,  we  encamped,  and 
fiUing  our  kettle,  prepared  ourselves  a  meal  of 
strong  and  excellent  soup.  The  greater  part  of 
the  night  was  passed  in  boiUng  and  regaling  on 
our  booty,  and  early  in  the  morning  we  felt 
ourselves  strong  enough  to  proceed. 
263 


^lejcanbcr  l^cnrp 


This  day,  the  twenty-fifth,  we  found  the 
borders  of  the  plains  reaching  to  the  very 
banks  of  the  river,  which  were  two  hundred 
feet  above  the  level  of  the  ice.  Water  marks 
presented  themselves  at  twenty  feet  above  the 
actual  level. 

Want  had  lost  its  dominion  over  us.  At  noon 
we  saw  the  horns  of  a  red  deer  standing  in  the 
snow  on  the  river.  On  examination  we  found 
that  the  whole  carcass  was  with  them,  the 
animal  having  broken  through  the  ice  in  the 
beginning  of  the  winter  in  attempting  to  cross 
the  river  too  early  in  the  season;  while  his 
horns,  fastening  themselves  in  the  ice,  had 
prevented  him  from  sinking.  By  cutting  away 
the  ice  we  were  enabled  to  lay  bare  a  part  of 
the  back  and  shoulders  and  thus  procure  a 
stock  of  food  amply  sufficient  for  the  rest  of 
our  journey.  We  accordingly  encamped  and 
employed  our  kettle  to  good  purpose,  forgot 
all  our  misfortunes,  and  prepared  to  walk  with 
cheerfulness  the  twenty  leagues  which,  as  we 
reckoned,  still  lay  between  ourselves  and  Fort 
des  Prairies. 

Though  the  deer  must  have  been  in  this 
situation  ever  since  the  month  of  November, 
yet  its  flesh  was  perfectly  good.  Its  horns  alone 
were  five  feet  high  or  more;  and  it  will  there- 
fore not  appear  extraordinary  that  they  should 
be  seen  above  the  snow. 

On  the  twenty-seventh,  in  the  morning,  we 
discovered  the  print  of  snowshoes,  demon- 
264 


Crabcli^  and  ^tibcnturc-^ 

strating  that  several  persons  had  passed  that 
way  the  day  before.  These  were  the  first  marks 
of  other  human  feet  than  our  own  which  we 
had  seen  since  our  leaving  Cumberland  House; 
and  it  was  much  to  feel  that  we  had  fellow- 
creatures  in  the  wide  waste  surrounding  us. 
In  the  evening  we  reached  the  fort.^ 

At  Fort  des  Prairies  I  remained  several  days, 
hospitably  entertained  by  my  friends,  who 
covered  their  table  with  the  tongues  and  mar- 
row of  wild  bulls.  The  quantity  of  provisions 
which  I  found  collected  here  exceeded  every- 
thing of  which  I  had  previously  formed  a 
notion.  In  one  heap  I  saw  fifty  tons  of  beef, 
so  fat  that  the  men  could  scarcely  find  a  sufi&- 
ciency  of  lean. 

I  had  come  to  see  the  plains,  and  I  had  yet  a 
serious  journey  to  perform  in  order  to  gratify 
my  curiosity.  Their  southern  boundary  I 
have  already  named;  and  I  understood  that 
they  stretched  northward  to  the  sixtieth  degree 
of  north  latitude  and  westward  to  the  feet  of 
the  Rocky  Mountains,  or  Northern  Andes,  of 
which  the  great  chain  pursues  a  northwesterly 
direction.  The  mountains  seen  in  high  latitudes 
were  regarded  as  part  of  this  chain,  and  said  to 
be  inhabited  by  numerous  bands  of  Indians. 

"  This  fort  was  "about  twelve  miles  in  an  air  line" 
below  the  forks  of  the  Saskatchewan,  on  the  site  of  an 
older  fort  established  by  the  French  in  1753.  Here  a 
century  later  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  had  Fort  a  la 
Corne,  named  in  honor  of  the  builder  of  the  original 
French  fort,  M ,  de  la  Corne. — Editor. 

265 


^Icxanticr  l^cnrp 


The  Plains  cross  the  River  Pasquayah,  Kejee- 
chewon,  Sascatchiwaine,  or  Shascatchiwan,  a 
little  above  Fort  des  Prairies. 

The  Jndians  who  inhabit  them  immediately 
to  the  southward  are  called  Osinipoilles  or 
Assiniboins.^^  At  the  fort  I  met  with  a  woman 
who  was  a  slave  among  the  Osinipoilles,  taken 
far  to  the  westward  of  the  mountains  in  a 
country  which  the  latter  incessantly  ravage. 
She  informed  me  that  the  men  of  the  country 
never  suffer  themselves  to  be  taken,  but  always 
die  in  the  field  rather  than  fall  into  captivity. 
The  women  and  children  are  made  slaves,  but 
are  not  put  to  death  nor  tormented. ^^  Her 
nation  Hved  on  a  great  river  running  to  the 
southwest,  and  cultivated  beans,  squashes, 
maize,  and  tobacco.  The  lands  were  generally 
mountainous  and  covered  with  pine  and  fir. 
She  had  heard  of  men  who  wear  their  beards. 
She  had  been  taken  in  one  of  the  incursions 
of  the  Osinipoilles.  Of  the  men  who  were  in 
the  village,  the  greater  part  were  killed,  but  a 
few  escaped  by  s\\dmming  across  the  river. 

^^  The  Assiniboin  tribe  is  closely  related  to  the  Sioux, 
having  seceded  from  the  latter  in  the  seventeenth 
century,  according  to  Perrot. — Editor. 

"^  The  Five  Nations,  and  others,  are  known  to  have 
treated  their  prisoners  with  great  cruelty;  but  there  is 
too  much  reason  to  believe  that  the  exercise  of  this 
cruelty  has  been  often  encouraged,  and  its  malignity 
often  increased,  by  European  instigators  and  assistants. 
— Author. 

266 


The  woman  belonged  to  a  numerous  band  of 
Osinipoilles  which  was  at  the  fort  seUing  its 
meat  and  skins.  I  resolved  on  traveling  with 
these  people  to  their  village,  and  accordingly 
set  out  on  the  fifth  of  February,  accompanied 
by  Messrs.  Patterson  and  Holmes,"  and  at- 
tended by  my  two  Canadians. 

^'  William  Holmes,  a  prominent  Northwestern  trader, 
and  one  of  the  stockholders  in  the  North  West  Company. 
A  partner  of  Holmes,  James  Grant,  was  also  active  in 
the  fur  trade  of  the  interior.  Grant  River  and  County 
in  southwestern  Wisconsin  are  probably  named  after 
this  man. — Editor. 


267 


A  JOURNEY  ON  THE  PLAINS 

WE  departed  at  an  early  hour  and  after  a 
march  of  about  two  miles  ascended  the 
table  land  which  Hes  above  the  river, 
and  of  which  the  level  is  two  hundred  feet 
higher  than  that  of  the  land  on  which  the  fort 
is  built.  From  the  low  ground  upward  the  soil 
is  covered  with  poplar  of  a  large  growth,  but 
the  summit  of  the  ridge  is  no  sooner  gained  than 
the  wood  is  found  to  be  smaller  and  so  thinly 
scattered  that  a  wheel  carriage  might  pass  in 
any  direction.  At  noon  we  crossed  a  small  river 
called  Moose  River,  flowing  at  the  feet  of  very 
lofty  banks.  Moose  River  is  said  to  fall  into 
Lake  Dauphin. 

Beyond  this  stream  the  wood  grows  still 
more  scanty  and  the  land  more  and  more  level. 
Our  course  was  southerly.  The  snow  lay  four 
feet  deep.  The  Indians  traveled  swiftly,  and 
in  keeping  pace  with  them  my  companions 
and  myself  had  too  much  exercise  to  suffer 
from  the  coldness  of  the  atmosphere;  but  our 
snowshoes  being  of  a  broader  make  than  those 
of  the  Indians,  we  had  much  fatigue  in  follow- 
ing their  track.  The  women  led  and  we 
marched  till  sunset  when  we  reached  a  small 
coppice  of  wood,  under  the  protection  of  which 

268 


we  encamped.  The  baggage  of  the  Indians  was 
drawn  by  dogs,  who  kept  pace  with  the  women 
and  appeared  to  be  under  their  command.  As 
soon  as  we  halted  the  women  set  up  the  tents, 
which  were  constructed  and  covered  Hke  those 
of  the  Christinaux. 

The  tent  in  which  I  slept  contained  fourteen 
persons,  each  of  whom  lay  with  his  feet  to  the 
fire,  which  was  in  the  middle;  but  the  night  was 
so  cold  that  even  this  precaution,  with  the  as- 
sistance of  our  buffalo  robes,  was  insufficient 
to  keep  us  warm.  Our  supper  was  made  on  the 
tongues  of  the  wild  ox,  or  buffalo,  boiled  in  my 
kettle,  which  was  the  only  one  in  the  camp. 

At  break  of  day,  or  rather  before  that  time, 
we  left  our  encampment,  the  women  still 
preceding  us.  On  our  march  we  saw  but  httle 
wood,  and  that  only  here  and  there  and  at 
great  distances.  We  crossed  two  rivulets  steal- 
ing along  the  bottom  of  very  deep  channels, 
which,  no  doubt,  are  better  filled  in  the  season 
of  the  melting  of  the  snow.  The  banks  here  as 
on  the  Pasquayah  or  Sascatchiwaine  are  com- 
posed of  a  whitish  clay,  mingled  with  sand. 

On  the  sixth  of  February  we  had  a  fine  clear 
sky,"  but  the  air  was  exceedingly  cold  and  bleak, 
no  shelter  from  woods  being  afforded  us  on 
either  side.  There  was  but  little  wind,  and 
yet  at  times  enough  to  cause  a  slight  drift  of 
snow.  In  the  evening  we  encamped  in  a  small 
wood,  of  which  the  largest  trees  did  not  exceed 
a  man's  wrist  in  thickness.  On  the  seventh  we 
269 


^Icjcantier  ipenrp 


left  our  encampment  at  an  early  hour.  Tracks 
of  large  herds  of  animals  presented  themselves, 
which  the  Indians  said  were  those  of  red  deer. 
Our  course  was  southwest  and  the  weather 
very  cold.  The  country  was  one  uninterrupted 
plain,  in  many  parts  of  which  no  wood,  not  even 
the  smallest  shrub,  was  to  be  seen;  a  continued 
level  without  a  single  eminence;  a  frozen 
sea,  of  which  the  Httle  coppices  were  the  islands. 
That  behind  which  we  had  encamped  the  night 
before  soon  sunk  in  the  horizon,  and  the  eye 
had  nothing  left,  save  only  the  sky  and  snow. 
The  latter  was  still  four  feet  in  depth. 

At  noon  we  discovered,  and  presently 
passed  by,  a  diminutive  wood,  or  island.  At 
four  in  the  afternoon  another  was  in  sight. 
When  I  could  see  none  I  was  ahve  to  the  dan- 
ger to  be  feared  from  a  storm  of  wind,  which 
would  have  driven  the  snow  upon  us.  The 
Indians  related  that  whole  famihes  often  perish 
in  this  manner. 

It  was  dark  before  we  reached  the  wood. 
A  fire,  of  which  we  had  much  need,  was  soon 
kindled  by  the  women.  Axes  were  useless 
here,  for  the  largest  tree  yielded  easily  to  the 
hand.  It  was  not  only  small,  but  in  a  state 
of  decay,  and  easily  extracted  from  the  loose 
soil  in  which  it  grew.  We  supped  on  wild  beef 
and  snow-water.  In  the  night  the  wind  changed 
to  the  southward  and  the  weather  became 
milder.  I  was  still  asleep,  when  the  women 
began  their  noisy  preparations  for  our  march. 

270 


Crabdi^  and  ^tibenturc^ 

The  striking  of  the  tents,  the  tongues  of  the 
women,  and  the  cries  of  the  dogs  were  all 
heard  at  once.  At  the  first  dawn  of  day  we 
recommenced  our  journey.  Nothing  was 
visible  but  the  snow  and  sky;  and  the  snow  was 
drifted  into  ridges  resembling  waves. 

Soon  after  sunrise  we  descried  a  herd  of 
oxen,  extending  a  mile  and  a  half  in  length  and 
too  numerous  to  be  counted.  They  traveled, 
not  one  after  another,  as  in  the  snow  other 
animals  usually  do,  but  in  a  broad  phalanx, 
slowly,  and  sometimes  stopping  to  feed.  We 
did  not  disturb  them,  because  to  have  attacked 
them  would  have  occasioned  much  delay  to  our 
progress;  and  because  the  dogs  were  already 
sufficiently  burdened  not  to  need  the  addition 
of  the  spoil. 

At  two  o'clock  we  reached  a  small  lake  sur- 
rounded with  wood,  and  where  the  trees  were 
of  a  size  somewhat  larger  than  those  behind. 
There  were  birch  trees  among  the  rest.  I 
observed  that  wherever  there  was  water  there 
was  wood.  All  the  snow  upon  the  lake  was 
trodden  down  by  the  feet  of  wild  oxen.  When 
this  was  the  case  on  the  land  an  abundance  of 
coarse  grass  discovered  itself  beneath.  We 
were  unable  to  penetrate  to  the  water  in  the 
lake,  though  we  cut  a  hole  in  the  ice  to  the 
depth  of  three  feet.  Where  we  cleared  the  ground 
for  our  encampments  no  stones  were  to  be  seen. 

This  evening  we  had  scarcely  encamped 
when  there  arrived  two  Osinipoilles,  sent  by 

271 


^llcxranticr  l^enrp 


the  great  chief  of  the  nation,  whose  name  was 
the  Great  Road,  to  meet  the  troop.  The  chief 
had  been  induced  to  send  them  through  his  anx- 
iety, occasioned  by  their  longer  absence  than 
had  been  expected.  The  messengers  expressed 
themselves  much  pleased  at  finding  strangers 
with  their  friends,  and  told  us  that  we  were 
within  one  day's  march  of  their  village,  and 
that  the  great  chief  would  be  highly  gratified 
in  learning  the  long  journey  which  we  had  per- 
formed to  visit  him.  They  added  that  in 
consequence  of  finding  us  they  must  themselves 
return  immediately,  to  apprise  him  of  our 
coming  and  enable  him  to  prepare  for  our 
reception. 

Fortunately  they  had  not  been  able  to  take 
any  refreshment  before  a  storm  of  wind  and 
snow  commenced  which  prevented  their  de- 
parture, and  in  which  they  must  have  been 
lost,  had  it  happened  later.  The  storm  con- 
tinued all  the  night  and  part  of  the  next  day. 
Clouds  of  snow,  raised  by  the  wind,  fell  on  the 
encampment  and  almost  buried  it.  I  had  no 
resource  but  in  my  buffalo  robe. 

In  the  morning  we  were  alarmed  by  the 
approach  of  a  herd  of  oxen,  who  came  from  the 
open  ground  to  shelter  themselves  in  the  wood. 
Their  numbers  were  so  great  that  we  dreaded 
lest  they  should  fairly  trample  down  the  camp; 
nor  could  it  have  happened  otherwise  but  for 
the  dogs,  almost  as  numerous  as  they,  who 
were  able  to  keep  them  in  check.  The  Indians 

272 


killed  several  when  close  upon  their  tents;  but 
neither  the  fire  of  the  Indians  nor  the  noise  of 
the  dogs  could  soon  drive  them  away.  What- 
ever were  the  terrors  which  filled  the  wood,  they 
had  no  other  escape  from  the  terrors  of  the 
storm. 

In  the  night  of  the  tenth  the  wind  fell.  The 
interval  had  been  passed  in  feasting  on  the 
tongues  of  the  oxen.  On  the  morning  of  the 
eleventh  the  messengers  left  us  before  day- 
light. We  had  already  charged  them  with  a 
present  for  the  chief,  consisting  in  tobacco  and 
vermilion.  Of  these  articles,  the  former 
exceeds  all  others  in  estimation;  for  the  Indians 
are  universally  great  smokers,  men,  women  and 
children,  and  no  affair  can  be  transacted,  civil 
or  religious,  without  the  pipe. 

Our  march  was  performed  at  a  quick  pace 
in  the  track  of  the  messengers.  All  the  fore 
part  of  the  day  escaped  without  discovering  to 
us  a  single  wood,  or  even  a  single  twig,  with 
the  exception  of  a  very  small  island,  lying  on 
our  right;  but  at  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon 
we  reached  a  little  scrub,  or  bushy  tract,  on 
which  we  encamped.  We  were  at  no  great 
distance  from  the  village;  but  the  Indians,  as 
is  their  custom,  delayed  their  entry  till  the 
morning. 

On  the  twelfth  at  ten  o'clock  in  the  forenoon 

we  were  in  sight  of  a  wood,  or  island,  as  the 

term  not  unnaturally  is,  as  well  with   the 

Indians  as  others;  it  appeared  to  be  about  a 

273 


^lejcanDcr  l^cnrp 


mile  and  a  half  long.  Shortly  after,  we  observed 
smoke  arising  from  it,  and  were  informed  that 
it  was  the  smoke  of  the  village.  The  morning 
was  clear  and  the  sun  shining. 

At  eleven  o'clock  two  fresh  messengers  came 
from  the  village,  by  whom  the  strangers  were 
formally  welcomed  on  the  part  of  the  chief. 
They  told  us  that  they  were  directed  to  con- 
duct us  and  our  servants  to  a  lodge,  which  had 
been  prepared  for  our  reception. 

At  the  entrance  of  the  wood  we  were  met  by 
a  large  band  of  Indians,  having  the  appearance 
of  a  guard,  each  man  being  armed  with  his  bow 
and  spear  and  having  his  quiver  filled  with 
arrows.  In  this,  as  in  much  that  followed,  there 
was  more  of  order  and  discipline  than  in  any- 
thing which  I  had  before  witnessed  among 
Indians.  The  power  of  these  guards  appeared 
to  be  great,  for  they  treated  very  roughly  some 
of  the  people  who,  in  their  opinion,  approached 
us  too  closely.  Forming  themselves  in  regu- 
lar file  on  either  side  of  us,  they  escorted 
us  to  the  lodge,  or  tent,  which  was  assigned  us. 
It  was  of  a  circular  form,  covered  with  leather, 
and  not  less  than  twenty  feet  in  diameter.  On 
the  ground  within,  ox-skins  were  spread  for 
beds  and  seats. 


274 


HOSPITALITY  OF   THE  ASSINIBOIN 

ONE-HALF  of  the  tent  was  appropriated 
to  our  use.  Several  women  waited  upon 
us  to  make  a  fire  and  bring  water,  which 
latter  they  fetched  from  a  neighboring  tent. 
Shortly  after  our  arrival  these  women  brought 
us  water,  unasked  for,  saying  that  it  was  for 
washing.  The  refreshment  was  exceedingly 
acceptable,  for  on  our  march  we  had  become  so 
dirty  that  our  complexions  were  not  very  dis- 
tinguishable from  those  of  the  Indians  them- 
selves. 

The  same  women  presently  borrowed  our 
kettle,  telHng  us  that  they  wanted  to  boil 
something  for  us  to  eat.  Soon  after  we  heard 
the  voice  of  a  man  passing  through  the  village 
and  making  a  speech  as  he  went.  Our  inter- 
preter informed  us  that  his  speech  contained  an 
invitation  to  a  feast,  accompanied  by  a  proc- 
lamation in  which  the  people  were  required  to 
behave  with  decorum  toward  the  strangers, 
and  apprised  that  the  soldiers  had  orders  to 
punish  those  who  should  do  otherwise. 

While  we  were  procuring  this  explanation  an 
Indian,  who  appeared  to  be  a  chief,  came  into 
our  tent  and  invited  us  to  the  feast,  adding 
that  he  would  himself  show  us  the  way.    We 

27s 


^icxantier  l^cnrp 


followed  him  accordingly,  and  he  carried  us  to 
the  tent  of  the  great  chief,  which  we  found 
neither  more  ornamented  nor  better  furnished 
than  the  rest. 

At  our  entrance  the  chief  arose  from  his  seat, 
saluted  us  in  the  Indian  manner  by  shaking 
hands,  and  addressed  us  in  a  few  words,  in 
which  he  offered  his  thanks  for  the  confidence 
which  we  had  reposed  in  him  in  trusting  our- 
selves so  far  from  our  own  country.  After  we 
were  seated,  which  was  on  bear  skins  spread 
on  the  ground,  the  pipe,  as  usual,  was  intro- 
duced and  presented  in  succession  to  each  per- 
son present.  Each  took  his  whiff  and  then  let  it 
pass  to  his  neighbor.  The  stem,  which  was 
four  feet  in  length,  was  held  by  aij  officer 
attendant  on  the  chief.  The  bowl  was  of  red 
marble  or  pipestone. 

When  the  pipe  had  gone  its  round  the  chief, 
without  rising  from  his  seat,  dehvered  a  speech 
of  some  length,  but  of  which  the  general  pur- 
port was  of  the  nature  already  described  in 
speaking  of  the  Indians  of  the  Lake  of  the 
Woods.  ^*  The  speech  ended,  several  of  the 
Indians  began  to  weep,  and  they  were  soon 
joined  by  the  whole  party.  Had  I  not  pre- 
viously been  witness  to  a  weeping-scene  of  this 
description  I  should  certainly  have  been  ap- 
prehensive of  some  disastrous  catastrophe;  but 
as  it  was  I  Hstened  to  it  with  tranquilHty.  It 
lasted  for  about  ten  minutes,  after  which  all 

^8  See  Part  Two,  chapter  8. — Author. 
276 


€raiicl^  and  ^Dbcnturc^ 

tears  were  dried  away,  and  the  honors  of  the 
feast  were  performed  by  the  attending  chiefs. 
This  consisted  in  giving  to  every  guest  a  dish 
containing  a  boiled  wild  ox's  tongue,  for  pre- 
paring which  my  kettle  had  been  borrowed. 
The  repast  finished,  the  great  chief  dismissed 
us  by  shaking  hands,  and  we  returned  to  our 
tent. 

Having  inquired  among  these  people  why 
they  always  weep  at  their  feasts,  and  some- 
times at  their  councils,  I  was  answered  that 
their  tears  flowed  to  the  memory  of  those  de- 
ceased relations  who  formerly  assisted  both  at 
the  one  and  the  other;  that  their  absence  on 
these  occasions  necessarily  brought  them  fresh 
into  their  minds,  and  at  the  same  time  led 
them  to  reflect  on  their  own  brief  and  uncer- 
tain continuance.^* 

The  chief  to  whose  kindly  reception  we  were 
so  much  indebted  was  about  five  feet  ten  inches 
high,  and  of  a  complexion  rather  darker  than 

*'  The  Ossinipoiles  are  the  Issati  of  the  older  travel- 
ers, and  have  sometimes  been  called  the  Weepers. 
— Author. 

This  is  an  error  on  the  part  of  Henry.  Before  the 
Sioux  obtained  firearms  from  Europeans  they  used  fUnt 
knives  and  arrowheads,  made  from  flint  which  they 
found  on  the  banks  of  the  Thousand  Lakes — called  by 
them  Isan-ta-mde,  or  "Lake  of  Knives."  From  this 
circumstance  the  eastern  Sioux  were  called  Isan-ya-ti, 
which  has  in  time  been  corrupted  into  modern  Santee. 
The  Santee  include  the  Wahpetans  and  the  Wa/ikute; 
the  Siouan  division  from  which  the  Assiniboin  separ- 
ated are  the  Yankton. — Editor. 

277 


^Icjtranticr  i^cnrp 


that  of  the  Indians  in  general.  His  appearance 
was  greatly  injured  by  the  condition  of  his 
head  of  hair,  and  this  was  the  result  of  an 
extraordinary  superstition. 

The  Indians  universally  fix  upon  a  partic- 
ular object  as  sacred  to  themselves;  as  the 
giver  of  their  prosperity,  and  as  their  preserver 
from  evil.  The  choice  is  determined  either  by 
a  dream,  or  by  some  strong  predilection  of 
fancy,  and  usually  falls  upon  an  animal,  or 
part  of  an  animal,  or  something  else  which  is  to 
be  met  with  by  land  or  by  water :  but  the  Great 
Road  had  made  choice  of  his  hair — placing, 
like  Sampson,  all  his  safety  in  this  portion  of 
his  proper  substance!  His  hair  was  the  foun- 
tain of  all  his  happiness;  it  was  his  strength  and 
his  weapon,  his  spear  and  his  shield.  It  pre- 
served him  in  battle,  directed  him  in  the  chase, 
watched  over  him  in  the  march,  and  gave  length 
of  days  to  his  wives  and  children.  Hair  of  a 
quality  hke  this  was  not  to  be  profaned  by  the 
touch  of  human  hands.  I  was  assured  that  it 
had  never  been  cut  nor  combed  from  his  child- 
hood upward;  and  that  when  any  part  of  it 
fell  from  his  head  he  treasured  up  that  part 
with  care:  meanwhile,  it  did  not  escape  all 
care,  even  while  growing  on  the  head;  but  was 
in  the  special  charge  of  a  spirit,  who  dressed  it 
while  the  owner  slept.  All  this  might  be:  but 
the  spirit's  style  of  hair  dressing  was  at  least 
peculiar,  the  hair  being  suffered  to  remain 
very  much  as  if  it  received  no  dressing  at  all, 
278 


Crabdi^  axUy  ^tibenture^ 

and  matted  into  ropes  which  spread  them- 
selves in  all  directions. 

The  same  evening  we  were  invited  to  a 
second  feast.  Everything  was  nearly  as  before, 
except  that  in  the  morning  all  the  guests  were 
men,  and  now  half  were  women.  All  the  women 
were  seated  on  one  side  of  the  floor  of  the  tent, 
and  all  the  men  on  the  other,  with  a  fire  placed 
between  them.  The  fire  rendering  the  tent 
warm,  the  men,  one  after  another,  dropped  the 
skins  which  were  their  garments,  and  left 
themselves  entirely  naked.  The  appearance 
of  one  of  them  in  particular  having  led  us,  who 
were  strangers,  into  an  involuntary  and  ill- 
stifled  laugh,  the  men  calmly  asked  us  the 
occasion  of  our  mirth;  but  one  of  the  women 
pointing  to  the  cause,  the  individual  restored 
the  covering  of  his  robe. 

The  women  are  themselves  perfectly  modest, 
both  in  dress  and  demeanor,  and  those  who 
were  now  present  maintained  the  first  rank 
in  the  village;  but  custom  had  rendered  the 
scene  inoffensive  to  their  eyes. 

Our  repast  concluded,  we  departed,  taking 
with  us  our  dishes,  in  which  the  greater  part 
of  the  ox  tongues  which  had  been  laid  upon 
them  remained  unconsumed. 

All  night  in  our  tent  we  had  a  guard  of  six 
soldiers;  and  when  I  awoke,  as  several  times 
I  did,  I  always  found  them  smoking  their  pipes 
in  silence. 

We    rose  at    daybreak,    according   to    the 

279 


^Icjranticr  ipcnrp 


custom  of  the  Indians,  who  say  that  they  follow 
it  in  order  to  avoid  surprises,  this  being  the 
hour  at  which  the  enemy  uniformly  makes  his 
attack. 

Our  waiting-women  arrived  early,  bringing 
wood  and  water.  Washing  appeared  to  me  to 
be  a  ceremony  of  religion  among  the  Osini- 
poilles;  and  I  never  saw  anything  similar 
among  other  Indians. 

Leaving  our  tent,  we  made  a  progress 
through  the  village,  which  consisted  of  about 
two  hundred  tents,  each  tent  containing  from 
two  to  four  families.  We  were  attended  by 
four  soldiers  of  our  guard,  but  this  was  insuf- 
ficient for  keeping  off  the  women  and  children, 
who  crowded  around  us  with  insatiable  curi- 
osity. Our  march  was  likewise  accompanied 
by  a  thousand  dogs,  all  howling  frightfully. 

From  the  village  I  saw  for  the  first  time  one 
of  those  herds  of  horses  which  the  Osinipoilles 
possess  in  numbers.  It  was  feeding  on  the 
skirts  of  the  plain.  The  masters  of  these  herds 
provide  them  with  no  fodder;  but  leave  them 
to  find  food  for  themselves  by  removing  the 
snow  with  their  feet  till  they  reach  the  grass, 
which  is  everywhere  on  the  ground  in  plenty. 

At  ten  o'clock  we  returned  to  our  tent,  and 
in  a  short  time  the  great  chief  paid  us  a  visit, 
attended  by  nearly  fifty  followers  of  distinc- 
tion. In  coming  in  he  gave  his  hand  to  each  of 
us,  and  all  his  attendants  followed  his  example. 
When  we  were  seated  one  of  the  officers  went 

280 


€rabd^  anU  ^tibcntureiei 

through  the  ceremony  of  the  pipe,  after  which 
the  great  chief  delivered  a  speech,  of  which  the 
substance  was  as  follows:  That  he  was  glad  to 
see  us;  that  he  had  been,  some  time  since,  in- 
formed of  a  fort  of  the  white  men's  being 
estabhshed  on  the  Pasquayah,  and  that  it  had 
always  been  his  intention  to  pay  a  visit  there; 
that  we  were  our  own  masters,  to  remain  at  our 
pleasure  in  his  village,  free  from  molestation, 
and  assured  of  his  especial  protection;  that  the 
young  men  had  employed  themselves  in  collect- 
ing meat  and  furs,  for  the  purpose  of  purchas- 
ing certain  articles,  wherewith  to  decorate 
their  wives;  that  within  a  few  days  he  proposed 
to  move,  with  his  whole  village,  on  this  errand; 
that  nothing  should  be  omitted  to  make  our 
stay  as  agreeable  as  possible;  that  he  had  al- 
ready ordered  a  party  of  his  soldiers  to  guard 
us,  and  that  if  anything  should  occur  to  dis- 
please us,  his  ear  was  always  open  to  our 
complaints. 

For  all  these  friendly  communications  we 
offered  our  thanks.  His  visit  to  the  fort  it  had 
been  a  principal  object  to  invite. 

After  the  speech  the  chief  presented  us  with 
twenty  beaver  skins,  and  as  many  wolf.  In 
return  we  gave  two  pounds  of  vermiHon,  and  a 
few  fathoms  of  twisted  tobacco,  assuring  him 
that  when  he  should  arrive  at  our  habitation 
we  would  endeavor  to  repay  the  benefits  which 
we  were  receiving  from  him,  and  at  the  same 
time  cheerfully  exchange  our  merchandise  for 
281 


^lerantier  l^cnrp 


the  dried  meat  and  skins  of  his  village.  It 
was  agreed  that  he  should  strike  his  camp  at 
the  end  of  five  days,  and  that  we  should  remain 
in  it  so  long,  and  accompany  it  to  the  fort. 
The  chief  now  departed;  and  I  believe  that  we 
were  reciprocally  pleased  with  each  other. 

A  short  time  after  he  was  gone  we  received 
an  invitation  to  a  feast  from  a  subordinate 
chief.  Our  dishes  were  again  filled  with  tongues, 
but  roasted  and  not  boiled.  To  furnish  us  with 
water  we  saw  an  ox's  paunch  employed  as  a 
kettle.  This  being  hung  in  the  smoke  of  a 
fire,  was  filled  with  snow,  and  as  the  snow 
melted  more  was  added  till  the  paunch  was  full 
of  water.  The  lower  orifice  of  the  organ  was 
used  for  drawing  off  the  water,  and  stopped 
with  a  plug  and  string. 

During  our  whole  stay  we  never  had  occasion 
for  cookery  at  home;  but  my  kettle  was  in 
constant  use,  and  for  the  most  part  in  prepara- 
tion of  the  feasts  at  which  we  were  daily 
guests.  In  our  tent  we  were  regularly  suppHed 
with  water,  either  by  the  women  or  by  the 
guards. 

The  guards  were  changed  daily.  They  fre- 
quently beat  the  people  for  disobedience  of 
orders,  and  the  offenders  made  no  resistance  to 
the  chastisement.  We  were  informed  that 
there  was  at  both  extremities  of  the  camp,  or 
village,  a  picket  of  two  men,  whose  duty  it  was 
not  to  allow  any  person  to  go  beyond  the 
bounds.  The  intention  of  this  was  to  prevent 
282 


stragglers  from  falling  a  prey  to  the  enemy. 
General  orders  were  issued  by  the  chief 
morning  and  evening,  and  published  by  a  crier 
in  every  part  of  the  camp. 

In  the  course  of  the  day  the  great  chief  in- 
formed us  that  he  proposed  hunting  the  wild  ox 
on  the  following  morning,  and  invited  us  to  be 
of  the  party. 


283 


Cl^apter  13 

CUSTOMS  OF  THE  RED  MEN 

IN  the  morning  we  went  to  the  hunt  accord- 
ingly. The  chief  was  followed  by  about 
forty  men  and  a  great  number  of  women. 
We  proceeded  to  a  small  island  on  the  plain,  at 
the  distance  of  five  miles  from  the  village.  On 
our  way  we  saw  large  herds  of  oxen  at  feed, 
but  the  hunters  forbore  to  molest  them,  lest 
they  should  take  the  alarm. 

Arrived  at  the  island,  the  women  pitched  a 
few  tents  while  the  chief  led  his  hunters  to  its 
southern  end  where  there  was  a  pound,  or 
enclosure.  The  fence  was  about  four  feet  high, 
and  formed  of  strong  stakes  of  birchwood, 
wattled  with  smaller  branches  of  the  same. 
The  day  was  spent  in  making  repairs,  and  by 
the  evening  all  was  ready  for  the  hunt. 

At  daylight  several  of  the  more  expert 
hunters  were  sent  to  decoy  the  animals  into  the 
pound.  They  were  dressed  in  ox  skins,  with 
the  hair  and  horns.  Their  faces  were  covered, 
and  their  gestures  so  closely  resembled  those 
of  the  animals  themselves  that  had  I  not  been 
in  the  secret  I  should  have  been  as  much  de- 
ceived as  the  oxen. 

At  ten  o'clock  one  of  the  hunters  returned, 
bringing  information  of  the  herd.  Immediately 

284 


all  the  dogs  were  muzzled  and,  this  done,  the 
whole  crowd  of  men  and  women  surrounded 
the  outside  of  the  pound.  The  herd,  of  which 
the  extent  was  so  great  that  I  cannot  pretend  to 
estimate  the  numbers,  was  distant  half  a  mile, 
advancing  slowly  and  frequently  stopping  to 
feed.  The  part  played  by  the  decoyers  was 
that  of  approaching  them  within  hearing  and 
then  bellowing  like  themselves.  On  hearing 
the  noise  the  oxen  did  not  fail  to  give  it  atten- 
tion, and  whether  from  curiosity  or  sympathy, 
advanced  to  meet  those  from  whom  it  pro- 
ceeded. These,  in  the  meantime,  fell  back  de- 
liberately toward  the  pound,  always  repeating 
the  call  whenever  the  oxen  stopped.  This  was 
reiterated  till  the  leaders  of  the  herd  had  fol- 
lowed the  decoyers  into  the  jaws  of  the  pound, 
which,  though  wide  asunder  toward  the  plain, 
terminated  like  a  funnel  in  a  small  aperture, 
or  gateway,  and  within  this  was  the  pound 
itself.  The  Indians  remark  that  in  all  herds  of 
animals  there  are  chiefs,  or  leaders,  by  whom  the 
motions  of  the  rest  are  determined. 

The  decoyers  now  retired  within  the  pound 
and  were  followed  by  the  oxen.  But  the  former 
retired  still  farther,  withdrawing  themselves  at 
certain  movable  parts  of  the  fence,  while  the 
latter  were  fallen  upon  by  all  the  hunters,  and 
presently  wounded  and  killed  by  showers  of 
arrows.  Amid  the  uproar  which  ensued  the 
oxen  made  several  attempts  to  force  the  fence, 
but  the  Indians  stopped  them,  and  drove  them 
285 


^Icranticr  i^cnrp 


back  by  shaking  skins  before  their  eyes.  Skins 
were  also  made  use  of  to  stop  the  entrance, 
being  let  down  by  strings  as  soon  as  the  oxen 
were  inside.  The  slaughter  was  prolonged  till 
the  evening,  when  the  hunters  returned  to  their 
tents.  Next  morning  all  the  tongues  were  pre- 
sented to  the  chief,  to  the  number  of  seventy- 
two. 

The  women  brought  the  meat  to  the  village 
on  sledges  drawn  by  dogs.  The  liunps  on  the 
shoulders,  and  the  hearts,  as  well  as  the 
tongues  were  set  apart  for  feasts,  while  the  rest 
was  consumed  as  ordinary  food,  or  dried  for 
sale  at  the  fort. 

The  time  was  now  passed  in  dancing  and 
festivity  in  all  quarters  of  the  village.  On  the 
evening  of  the  day  after  the  hunt  the  chief 
came  to  our  tent,  bringing  with  him  about 
twenty  men  and  as  many  women,  who  sep- 
arately seated  themselves  as  before;  but  they 
now  brought  musical  instruments,  and  soon 
after  their  arrival  began  to  play.  The  instru- 
ments consisted  principally  in  a  sort  of  tam- 
bourine, and  a  gourd  filled  with  stones,  which 
several  persons  accompanied  by  shaking  two 
bones  together;  and  others  with  bunches  of 
deer  hoofs,  fastened  to  the  end  of  a  stick. 
Another  instrument  was  one  that  was  no  more 
than  a  piece  of  wood  of  three  feet  with  notches 
cut  on  its  edge.  The  performer  drew  a  stick 
backward  and  forward  along  the  notches,  keep- 
ing time.  The  women  sang;  and  the  sweetness 

286 


of  their  voices  exceeded  whatever  I  had  heard 
before. 

This  entertainment  lasted  upward  of  an 
hour;  and  when  it  was  finished  a  dance  com- 
menced. The  men  formed  themselves  into  a 
row  on  one  side,  and  the  women  on  the  other, 
and  each  moved  sidewise,  first  up  and  then 
down  the  room.  The  sound  of  bells  and  other 
jinghng  materials  attached  to  the  women's 
dresses  enabled  them  to  keep  time.  The  songs 
and  dances  were  continued  alternately  till 
near  midnight,  when  all  our  visitors  departed. 

These  amusements  were  given  to  us  com- 
plimentarily  by  the  chief.  He  took  no  part 
in  the  performances  himself,  but  sat  smoking 
while  they  proceeded. 

It  had  been  my  wish  to  go  farther  on  the 
Plains,  till  I  should  have  reached  the  mountains, 
at  the  feet  of  which,  as  I  have  already  ob- 
served, they  he;  but  the  chief  informed  me  that 
the  latter  were  still  at  the  distance  of  many  days' 
journey,  and  that  the  intervening  country  was 
a  tract  destitute  of  the  least  appearance  of 
wood.  In  the  winter,  as  he  asserted,  this  tract 
cannot  be  crossed  at  all,  and  in  the  summer  the 
traveler  is  in  great  danger  of  perishing  for 
want  of  water;  and  the  only  fuel  to  be  met  with 
is  the  dung  of  the  wild  ox.  It  is  intersected  by 
a  large  river,  which  runs  to  the  sun's  rising, 
and  which  has  its  sources  in  the  mountains. 

With  regard  to  the  country  of  the  Osini- 
poilles  he  said  that  it  lay  between  the  head  of  the 
287 


^lejcanlier  i^enrp 


Pasquayah,  or  Sascatchiwaine,  and  the  coun- 
try of  the  Sioux,  or  Nadowessies,  who  in- 
habit the  heads  of  the  Missisipi.  On  the 
west,  near  the  mountains,  were  the  Snake 
Indians  and  Blackfeet,  troublesome  neigh- 
bors, by  whose  hands  numbers  of  his  warriors 
fell. 

The  Osinipoilles  have  many  villages  com- 
posed of  from  one  to  two  hundred  tents  each. 
Few  exceed  the  latter  number.  They  often  go 
to  the  mountains  on  war  parties,  and  always  on 
horseback.  When  the  great  chief  intends  to  go 
to  war  he  sends  messengers  to  the  several 
villages  directing  the  warriors  to  meet  him  at  an 
appointed  place  and  time.  With  regard  to 
the  latter,  it  is  described  by  the  moon,  as  the 
beginning,  full,  or  end.  In  obedience  to  the 
summons  they  assemble  in  greater  numbers 
than  can  be  counted,^''  armed  with  the  bow, 
sling,  and  spear,  and  with  quivers  full  of  ar- 
rows. They  have  still  another  weapon,  formed 
of  a  stone  of  about  two  pounds  weight,  which 
is  sewed  in  leather  and  made  fast  to  a  wooden 
handle  two  feet  long.  In  using  it  the  stone  is 
whirled  round  the  handle  by  a  warrior  sitting 
on  horseback  and  attacking  at  full  speed. 
Every  stroke  which  takes  effect  brings  down  a 
man  or  horse;  or,  if  used  in  the  chase,  an  ox. 
To  prevent  the  weapon  from  slipping  out  of  the 
hand  a  string,  which  is  tied  to  the  handle,  is 
also  passed  round  the  wrist  of  the  wearer.  The 

*"  This  was  the  chief's  expression. — Author. 


horses  of  the  Osinipoilles  were  originally  pro- 
cured from  white  people  with  beards  who  live 
to  the  southward;  that  is,  the  Spanish  colonists 
in  New  Mexico. 

The  animals  which  I  saw  alive  on  the  plains 
are  oxen,  red  deer  and  wolves;  but  I  saw  also 
the  skins  of  foxes,  bears  and  a  small  number  of 
panthers,  sometimes  called  tigers  and,  most 
properly,  cougars.^^ 

In  their  reUgious  notions  as  well  as  in  their 
dress,  arms,  and  other  particulars,  there  is  a 
general  agreement  between  the  Osinipoilles 
and  the  Cristinaux.*^  They  believe  in  a  creator 
and  governor  of  the  world,  in  a  future  life,  and 
in  the  spirits,  gods,  or  manitos,  whom  they 
denominate  wakons.  Their  practices  of  devo- 
tion consist  in  the  singing  of  songs,  accom- 
panied by  the  drum,  or  rattle,  or  both;  and  the 
subjects  of  which  are  prayers  and  praises:  in 
smoking  feasts,  or  feasts  of  the  pipe,  or  calumet, 
held  in  honor  of  the  spirits,  to  whom  the  smoke 
of  tobacco  is  supposed  to  be  a  most  acceptable 
incense:  and  in  other  feasts,  as  well  as  in  fasts 
and  in  sacrifices.  The  victims  of  sacrifice  are 
usually  dogs,  which  being  killed  and  hung 
upon  poles  are  left  there  to  decay. 

"'  Felis  concolor. — Author. 

^-  Such  of  the  Christinaux  as  inhabit  the  plains  have 
also  their  horses,  like  the  Osinipoilles.  By  language  the 
Osinipoilles  are  allied  to  the  Nadovvessies,  but  they  are 
always  at  war  with  them.  Of  the  language  of  theNado- 
wessies,  Carver  has  given  a  short  vocabulary. — Author. 

289 


^Icjcanlin:  f$tnt^ 


Many  travelers  have  described  the  marriages 
of  the  Indians,  but  as  they  have  greatly  dis- 
agreed in  their  deUneations,  I  shall  venture 
to  set  down  such  particulars  as  have  presented 
themselves  to  my  immediate  view.  Though 
inserted  here,  they  have  no  exclusive  relation 
to  the  Osinipoilles,  all  the  Indians  whom 
I  have  seen  having  similar  customs  on  this 
head. 

A  young  man,  desirous  of  marrjdng  a  partic- 
ular young  woman,  visits  the  lodge  in  which  she 
lives  at  night  and  when  all  the  family,  or  rather 
families,  are  sleeping  on  their  mats  around. 
He  comes  provided  with  a  match,  or  splint 
of  wood,  which  he  Hghts  among  the  embers  of 
one  of  the  fires  which  are  in  the  middle  of 
the  lodge.  The  only  intention  of  this  is  the  very 
obvious  one  of  finding  by  the  help  of  the  light 
the  young  woman  whom  he  means  to  visit,  and 
whom,  perhaps,  he  has  to  awaken.  This  done, 
he  extinguishes  the  light.  In  speaking  to  her 
he  whispers,  because  it  is  not  necessary  to 
disturb  all  the  lodge,  and  because  something 
hke  privacy  and  secrecy  belong  to  the  nature 
of  the  occasion.  If  she  makes  no  reply  to  his 
address,  he  considers  his  attempts  at  acquain- 
tance as  repulsed,  and  in  consequence  retires. 
If  the  young  woman  receives  him  with  favor 
he  takes  part  of  her  mat.  He  brings  with  him 
his  own  blanket.  I  consider  this  practice  as 
precisely  similar  to  the  bundling  of  New 
England  and  other  countries;  and,  to  say  the 

390 


least,  as  not  more  licentious.^^  Children  born 
out  of  wedlock  are  very  rare  among  the  Indians. 

The  lover  who  is  permitted  to  remain  re- 
tires before  daybreak.  When  the  young  woman 
has  consented  to  be  his  wife  he  opens  the  af- 
fair to  his  own  mother,  by  whom  it  is  com- 
municated to  her's;  and  if  the  two  mothersagree 
they  mutually  apply  to  their  husbands. 

The  father  of  the  young  man  then  invites 
the  father  of  the  young  woman  to  a  stew,  or 
sudatory,  prepared  for  the  occasion,  and  at 
which  he  communicates  the  wishes  of  his  son. 
The  father  of  the  young  woman  gives  no 
reply  till  the  day  following,  when  in  his  own 
turn  he  invites  the  other  to  the  sweating  house. 
If  he  approves  of  the  match,  the  terms  upon 
which  it  is  to  be  made  are  now  settled. 

Stews,  sudatories,  or  sweating  houses  are 
resorted  to  for  cure  of  sickness,  for  pleasure, 
or  for  giving  freedom  and  vigor  to  the  faculties 
of  the  mind  when  particular  deliberation  and 
sagacity  are  called  for.  To  prepare  them  for  a 
guest  is,  therefore,  to  offer  every  assistance  to 
his  judgment,  and  manifest  the  reverse  of  a 
disposition  to  take  an  unfair  advantage  of 
him:  it  is  the  exact  opposite  of  offering  him 
liquor.  They  are  constructed  of  slender 
branches  of  trees,  united  at  the  top  and  closely 
covered  with  skins  or  blankets.   Within,  water 

^  On  the  custom  of  bundling,  see  H.  R.  Stiles, 
Bundling;  Us  Origin,  Progress,  and  Decline  in  America 
(Albany,  1869).— Editor. 

291 


^lexantiet  ^enrp 


is  poured  upon  a  red-hot  stone,  till  the  steam 
induces  perspiration. 

The  terms  are  either  that  the  young  man,  as 
was  most  usual  in  older  times,  shall  serve  the 
father  of  the  young  woman  for  a  certain  period 
(as  for  three  years)  or  that  he  shall  redeem 
himself  from  this  obligation  by  a  present. 

If  he  be  to  serve,  then,  at  the  time  fixed,  he 
goes,  accompanied  by  his  father  and  mother, 
to  the  lodge  of  the  young  woman's  family. 
There  he  is  desired  by  her  mother  to  sit  down 
on  the  same  mat  with  her.  A  feast  is  usually 
served,  and  the  young  woman's  father  delivers 
a  suitable  speech.  The  young  man  is  thence- 
forward regarded  as  one  of  his  wife's  family, 
and  remains  in  the  lodge  accordingly. 

If,  on  the  other  hand,  he  redeems  himself  by 
a  present,  then  his  father  and  mother  go  alone 
to  the  lodge  of  the  young  woman's  family, 
carr}'ing  a  present.  If  the  present  be  accepted, 
they  leave  it  and  return  home;  and  shortly 
after  the  father  and  mother,  accompanied  by 
their  daughter,  go  to  the  lodge  of  the  bride- 
groom's family,  where  the  bride  is  desired  to 
sit  down  beside  her  husband.  The  feast  and 
speech  are  now  made  by  the  young  man's 
father,  and  the  young  woman  is  received  into 
his  family. 

Every  man  marries  as  many  wives  as  he 
pleases,  and  as  he  can  maintain;  and  the  usual 
number  is  from  one  to  five.  The  oldest  in 
most  cases  is  the  mistress  of  the  family,  and 

292 


Crabd^  and  ^titenture^ 

of  the  other  wives  among  the  rest.  They 
appear  to  Hve  in  much  harmony.  Polygamy 
among  the  Indians  conduces  little  to  popula- 
tion. For  the  number  of  adults  the  children 
are  always  few. 

In  naming  a  child  the  father  officiates,  and 
the  ceremony  is  simple.  The  relations  are 
invited  to  a  feast,  when  he  makes  a  speech,  in- 
forming the  guests  of  the  name  by  which  the 
child  is  to  be  called,  and  addresses  a  prayer  to 
the  Great  Spirit,  petitioning  for  the  child's 
Hfe  and  welfare. 

With  respect  to  the  burial  of  the  dead,  if  the 
death  happen  in  the  winter  season  and  at  a 
distance  from  the  burial  ground  of  the  family, 
the  body  invariably  accompanies  all  the  wan- 
derings and  journeys  of  the  survivors  till  the 
spring,  and  till  their  arrival  at  the  place  of 
interment.  In  the  meantime  it  is  everywhere 
rested  on  a  scaffold,  out  of  the  reach  of  beasts 
of  prey.  The  grave  is  made  of  a  circular  form, 
about  five  feet  deep,  and  lined  with  bark  of  the 
birch  or  some  other  tree,  or  with  skins.  A  seat 
is  prepared,  and  the  body  is  placed  in  a  sitting 
posture,  with  supporters  on  either  side.  If 
the  deceased  be  a  man,  his  weapons  of  war 
and  of  the  chase  are  buried  with  him,  as  also 
his  shoes,  and  everything  for  which  as  a  Hving 
warrior  or  hunter  he  would  have  occasion,  and, 
indeed,  all  his  property;  and  I  beheve  that 
those  whose  piety  alone  may  not  be  strong 
enough    to  ensure  to    the  dead    the    entire 

293 


^kjtranticr  i^enrp 


inventory  of  what  is  supposed  to  be  necessary 
for  them,  or  is  their  own,  are  compelled  to  do 
them  justice  by  another  argument,  and  which 
is  the  fear  of  their  displeasure.  A  defrauded  or 
neglected  ghost,  although  invisible,  can  dis- 
perse the  game  of  the  plains  or  forests  so  that 
the  hunter  shall  hunt  in  vain;  and  either  in  the 
chase  or  in  the  war,  turn  aside  the  arrow,  or 
palsy  the  arm  that  draws  the  bow:  in  the  lodge 
it  can  throw  a  child  into  the  fire. 

The  body  and  its  accompaniments  are  cov- 
ered with  bark,  the  bark  with  logs,  and  the 
logs  with  earth.  This  done,  a  relation  stands 
up  and  pronounces  an  eulogium  on  the  de- 
ceased, extoUing  his  virtues  and  relating  his 
exploits.  He  dwells  upon  the  enemies  whom  he 
slew,  the  scalps  and  prisoners  which  he  took,  his 
skill  and  industry  in  the  chase,  and  his  deport- 
ment as  a  father,  husband,  son,  brother, 
friend,  and  member  of  the  community.  At 
each  assertion  which  he  makes  the  speaker 
strikes  a  post  which  is  placed  near  the  grave, 
a  gesture  of  asseveration,  and  which  enforces 
the  attention  of  the  audience  and  assists  in 
counting  up  the  points  delivered.  The  eulo- 
gium finished,  the  post  is  painted,**  and  on  it 
are  represented  the  number  of  prisoners  taken, 
by  so  many  figures  of  men;  and  of  killed  and 
scalped,  by  figures  without  heads.  To  these 
are  added  his  badge,  called,  in  the  Algonquin 

«^  Hence  The  Painted  Post,  the  name  of  a  village  in 
Pennsylvania. — Author. 

294 


tongue,  a  totem,  and  which  is  in  the  nature  of  an 
armorial  bearing.  It  informs  the  passing  Indian 
of  the  family  to  which  the  deceased  belonged. 
A  serious  duty  at  the  grave  is  that  of  placing 
food  for  the  use  of  the  dead  on  the  journey  to 
the  land  of  souls.  This  care  is  never  neglected, 
even  under  every  disadvantage  of  molestation. 
In  the  neighborhood  of  the  traders,  dishes  of 
cooked  venison  are  very  commonly  placed  on 
the  graves  of  those  long  buried  and  as  com- 
monly removed  by  Europeans,  even  without 
offense  to  those  who  placed  them  there.  In 
situations  of  great  want  I  have  more  than  once 
resorted  to  them  for  food. 

The  men  among  the  Osinipoilles  are  well 
made,  but  their  color  is  much  deeper  than  that 
of  the  more  northern  Indians.  Some  of  the 
women  are  tolerably  handsome,  considering 
how  they  live,  exposed  to  the  extremes  of  heat 
and  cold  and  placed  in  an  atmosphere  of  smoke 
for  at  least  one-half  of  the  year.  Their  dress  is 
of  the  same  materials  and  of  the  same  form  with 
that  of  the  female  Cristinaux.  The  married 
women  suffer  their  hair  to  grov/  at  random, 
and  even  hang  over  their  eyes.  All  the  sex  is 
fond  of  garnishing  the  lower  edge  of  the  dress 
with  small  bells,  deer  hoofs,  pieces  of  metal,  or 
anything  capable  of  making  a  noise.  When 
they  move  the  sounds  keep  time,  and  make  a 
fantastic  harmony. 

The  Osinipoilles  treat  with  great  cruelty 
their    slaves.     As   an    example,    one    of    the 

29s 


^Icrantier  i^enrp 


principal  chiefs,  whose  tent  was  near  that  which 
we  occupied,  had  a  female  slave  of  about 
twenty  years  of  age.  I  saw  her  always  on  the 
outside  of  the  door  of  the  tent,  exposed  to 
the  severest  cold;  and  having  asked  the 
reason,  I  was  told  that  she  was  a  slave.  The 
information  induced  me  to  speak  to  her  master 
in  the  hope  of  procuring  some  mitigation  of  the 
hardships  she  underwent;  but  he  gave  me  for 
answer  that  he  had  taken  her  on  the  other  side 
of  the  western  mountains;  that  at  the  same 
time  he  had  lost  a  brother  and  a  son  in  battle; 
and  that  the  enterprise  had  taken  place  in 
order  to  release  one  of  his  own  nation  who  had 
been  a  slave  in  her's,  and  who  had  been  used 
with  much  greater  severity  than  that  which 
she  experienced.  The  reality  of  the  last  of 
these  facts  appeared  to  me  to  be  impossible. 
The  wretched  woman  fed  and  slept  with  the 
dogs,  scrambling  with  them  for  the  bones 
which  were  thrown  out  of  the  tent.  When  her 
master  was  within  she  was  never  permitted  to 
enter;  at  all  seasons  the  children  amused 
themselves  with  impunity  in  tormenting  her, 
thrusting  lighted  sticks  into  her  face,  and  if 
she  succeeded  in  warding  ofif  these  outrages 
she  was  violently  beaten.  I  was  not  successful 
in  procuring  any  diminution  of  her  sufferings, 
but  I  drew  some  relief  from  the  idea  that  their 
duration  could  not  be  long.  They  were  too 
heavy  to  be  sustained. 
It  is  known  that  some  slaves  have  the  good 

296 


€rabe!^  anti  ^libcnturc^ 

fortune  to  be  adopted  into  Indian  families, 
and  are  afterward  allowed  to  marry  in  them, 
but  among  the  Osinipoilles  this  seldom  hap- 
pens; and  even  among  the  Chippewa,  where 
a  female  slave  is  so  adopted  and  married  I 
never  knew  her  to  lose  the  degrading  appella- 
tion of  wakan,  a  slave.^^ 

^^  This  word  wakan,  which  in  the  Algonquin  language 
signifies  a  slave,  is  not  to  be  confounded  with  wakan  or 
wakon,  which  in  the  language  of  the  Nadowessies  and 
Osinipoilles  signifies  a  spirit  or  manito. — Author. 


297 


chapter  m 

THE  RETURN  TO  FORT  DES  PRAIRIES 

ON  the  nineteenth  of  February  the  chief 
apprised  us  that  it  was  his  design  to  de- 
part the  next  morning  for  the  fort.  In 
consequence  we  collected  our  baggage,  which, 
however,  was  but  small,  consisting  in  a 
buffalo  robe  for  each  person,  an  axe,  and  a 
kettle.  The  last  was  reluctantly  parted  with 
by  our  friends,  who  had  none  left  to  supply  its 
place. 

At  daybreak  on  the  twentieth  all  was  noise 
and  confusion  in  the  camp,  the  women  beat- 
ing and  loading  the  dogs,  and  the  dogs  howl- 
ing and  crying.  The  tents  were  speedily  struck, 
and  the  coverings  and  poles  packed  up  to  be 
drawn  by  the  dogs. 

Soon  after  sunrise  the  march  began.  In  the 
van  were  twenty-five  soldiers,  who  were  to 
beat  the  path  so  that  the  dogs  might  walk. 
They  were  followed  by  about  twenty  men, 
apparently  in  readiness  for  contingent  services; 
and  after  these  went  the  women,  each  driving 
one  or  two,  and  some  five,  loaded  dogs.  The 
number  of  these  animals  actually  drawing 
loads  exceeded  five  hundred.  After  the  baggage 
marched  the  main  body  of  the  men,  carrying 
only  their  arms.    The  rear  was  guarded  by 

298 


€rabrij6f  and  ^tibenturc^ 

about  forty  soldiers.  The  line  of  march  cer- 
tainly exceeded  three  miles  in  length. 

The  morning  was  clear  and  calm.  Our  road 
was  a  different  one  from  that  by  which  we  had 
reached  the  camp.  We  passed  several  herds 
of  wild  oxen,  which  betrayed  some  alarm  at 
the  noise  of  the  dogs  and  women  resounding 
on  every  side. 

Our  march  was  pursued  till  sunset,  when  we 
reached  a  small  wood,  the  first  that  we  had  seen 
all  day.  The  great  chief  desired  Mr.  Patter- 
son and  myself  to  lodge  in  his  own  tent,  and  we 
accordingly  became  part  of  his  family.  We 
saw  that  his  entire  and  numerous  household 
was  composed  of  relations.  The  chief,  after 
smoking  his  pipe,  determined  the  line  of  march 
for  the  next  day;  and  his  dispositions  in  this 
regard  were  immediately  published  through  the 
camp. 

At  daybreak  our  tents  were  again  struck,  and 
we  proceeded  on  our  march  in  the  same  order 
as  the  day  before.  Today  (to  follow  the  phrase- 
ology of  the  plains)  we  had  once  laiid  in  sight, 
consisting  in  two  small  islands,  lying  at  a  great 
distance  from  our  road.  On  our  march  the 
chief  informed  us  that  he  proposed  reaching 
another  camp  of  his  people  that  evening,  and 
would  take  it  with  him  to  the  fort.  Accordingly, 
at  about  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  we  dis- 
covered a  wood  and  presently  afterward  saw 
smoke  rising  from  it.  At  sunset  we  encamped 
near  the  wood,  where  we  found  a  hundred 
299 


^leranlier  ipenrp 


tents.  We  were  not  long  arrived  before  the 
chiefs  of  this  second  camp  paid  a  visit  to  the 
Great  Road,  who  informed  them  of  his  inten- 
tion to  visit  the  fort  and  recommended  to 
them  to  join  his  march.  They  consented, 
and  orders  were  given  as  usual  by  a  pubHc 
officer. 

The  night  afforded  me  but  Httle  sleep,  so 
great  was  the  disturbance  from  noises  of  all 
kinds;  feasting  and  dancing;  the  women  chas- 
tising the  dogs;  the  dogs  of  the  two  camps 
meeting  and  maintaining  against  each  other 
the  whole  night  long  a  universal  war. 

In  the  morning  the  two  camps  united  in  one 
line  of  march,  which  was  now  so  far  extended 
that  those  in  the  rear  could  not  descry  the 
front.  At  noon  we  passed  a  small  wood,  where 
we  saw  horses  feeding.  The  Indians  informed 
me  that  they  belonged  to  one  of  their  camps, 
or  villages;  and  that  it  was  their  uniform  cus- 
tom to  leave  their  horses  in  the  beginning  of 
the  winter  at  the  first  wood  where  they  were 
when  the  snow  fell,  at  which  the  horses  always 
remain  through  the  season,  and  where  their 
masters  are  sure  to  find  them  in  the  spring. 
The  horses  never  go  out  of  sight  of  the  island 
assigned  them,  winter  or  summer,  for  fear  of 
wanting  its  shelter  in  a  storm. 

We  encamped  this  evening  among  some 
small  brushwood.  Our  fire  went  out  accident- 
ally in  the  night,  and  I  was  kept  awake  by  the 
cold  and  by  the  noise  of  the  dogs. 

300 


In  the  course  of  the  next  day,  the  twenty- 
third  of  the  month,  we  passed  several  coppices, 
and  saw  that  the  face  of  the  country  was 
changing  and  that  we  had  arrived  on  the  mar- 
gin of  the  Plains.  On  the  twenty-seventh  we 
encamped  on  a  large  wood,  where  the  Indians 
resolved  on  leaving  the  old  women  and  children 
till  their  return  from  the  fort,  from  which  we 
were  now  distant  only  one  day's  march.  On 
the  twenty-eighth  they  halted  for  the  whole 
day;  but  we  engaged  two  of  them  to  lead  us 
forward,  and  thus  arrived  in  the  evening  at  the 
fort,  where  we  found  all  well.  A  large  band  of 
Cristinaux  had  brought  skins  from  the  Beaver 
River. 

Next  day  the  Indians  advanced  their  camp 
to  within  half  a  mile  of  the  fort,  but  left 
thirty  tents  behind  them  in  the  wood.  They 
continued  with  us  three  days,  selling  their 
skins  and  provisions  for  trinkets. 

It  is  not  in  this  manner  that  the  northern 
Indians  dispose  of  the  harvest  of  the  chase. 
With  them  the  principal  purchases  are  of 
necessaries;  but  the  Osinipoilles  are  less  de- 
pendent on  our  merchandise.  The  wild  ox 
alone  supplies  them  with  everything  which 
they  are  accustomed  to  want.  The  hide  of  this 
animal,  when  dressed,  furnishes  soft  clothing 
for  the  women;  and  dressed  with  the  hair  on,  it 
clothes  the  men.  The  flesh  feeds  them;  the 
sinews  afford  them  bowstrings;  and  even  the 
paunch,  as  we  have  seen,  provides  them  with 

301 


^leranber  i^mrp 


that  important  utensil,  the  kettle.  The  amaz- 
ing numbers  of  these  animals  prevent  all  fear 
of  want,  a  fear  which  is  incessantly  present  to 
the  Indians  of  the  North. 

On  the  fourth  morning  the  Osinipoilles  de- 
parted. The  Great  Road  expressed  himself 
much  satisfied  with  his  reception,  and  he  was 
well  deserving  of  a  good  one;  for  in  no  situation 
could  strangers  have  been  treated  more  hos- 
pitably than  we  were  treated  in  his  camp.  The 
best  of  everything  it  contained  was  given  us. 

The  Osinipoilles  at  this  period  had  had 
no  acquaintance  with  any  foreign  nation 
sufficient  to  aflfect  their  ancient  and  pristine 
habits.  Like  the  other  Indians,  they  were 
cruel  to  their  enemies,  but  as  far  as  the  ex- 
perience of  myself  and  other  Europeans 
authorizes  me  to  speak,  they  were  a  harmless 
people,  with  a  large  share  of  simplicity  of 
manners  and  plain  dealing.  They  lived  in  fear 
of  the  Cristinaux,  by  whom  they  were  not  only 
frequently  imposed  upon,  but  pillaged  when 
the  latter  met  their  bands  in  smaller  numbers 
than  their  own. 

As  to  the  Cristinaux,  they  are  a  shrewd  race 
of  men,  and  can  cheat,  lie,  and  sometimes 
steal;  yet  even  the  Cristinaux  are  not  so  much 
addicted  to  stealing  as  is  reported  of  the 
Indians  of  the  South  Sea;  their  stealing  is 
pilfering;  and  they  seldom  pilfer  anything  but 
rum,  a  commodity  which  tempts  them  beyond 
the  power  of  resistance. 
302 


I  remained  at  Fort  des  Prairies  till  the 
twenty-second  of  March,  on  which  day  I 
commenced  my  return  to  Beaver  Lake. 

Fort  des  Prairies,  as  already  intimated,  is 
built  on  the  margin  of  the  Pasquayah,  or  Sas- 
catchiwaine,  which  river  is  here  two  hundred 
yards  across  and  flows  at  the  depth  of  thirty 
feet  below  the  level  of  its  banks.  The  fort  has 
an  area  of  about  an  acre,  which  is  enclosed  by 
a  good  stockade,  though  formed  only  of  poplar, 
or  aspen  wood,^^  such  as  the  country  affords. 
It  has  two  gates,  which  are  carefully  shut  every 
evening,  and  has  usually  from  fifty  to  eighty 
men  for  its  defense. 

Four  different  interests  were  struggling  for 
the  Indian  trade  of  the  Sascatchiwaine;  but 
fortunately  they  had  this  year  agreed  to  join 
their  stock,  and  when  the  season  was  over,  to 
divide  the  skins  and  meat.  This  arrangement 
was  beneficial  to  the  merchants,  but  not  di- 
rectly so  to  the  Indians,  who,  having  no  other 
place  to  resort  to  nearer  than  Hudson's  Bay  or 
Cumberland  House,  paid  greater  prices  than  if 
a  competition  had  subsisted.  A  competition, 
on  the  other  hand,  afflicts  the  Indians  with  a 
variety  of  evils  in  a  different  form. 

The  following  were  the  prices  of  goods  at 
Fort  des  Prairies: 

A  gun 20  beaver  skins 

'*  This  fort,  or  one  which  occupied  a  contiguous  site, 
was  formerly  known  by  the  name  of  Fort  aux  Trembles. 
— Author. 

303 


^IcranDer  i^cnrp 


A  Stroud  blanket lo  beaver  skins 

A  white  blanket 8  beaver  skins 

An  axe  of  one  pound  weight  3  beaver  skins 
Half  a  pint  of  gunpowder    i  beaver  skin 

Ten  balls i  beaver  skin, 

but  the  principal  profits  accrued  from  the  sale 
of  knives,  beads,  flints,  steels,  awls,  and  other 
small  articles. 

Tobacco,  when  sold,  fetched  one  beaver  skin 
per  foot  of  Spencer's  twist;  and  rum,  not  very 
strong,  two  beaver  skins  per  bottle:  but  a 
great  proportion  of  these  commodities  was  dis- 
posed of  in  presents.^' 

The  quantity  of  furs  brought  into  the  fort 
was  very  great.  From  twenty  to  thirty  Indians 
arrived  daily,  laden  with  packs  of  beaver  skins. 

®^  The  tobacco  supplied  by  the  traders  to  the  Indians 
was  commonly  twisted  in  the  form  of  a  rope,  and  the 
quantity  of  a  given  portion  was  indicated  by  its 
length;  the  rum,  before  being  sold  to  the  natives  was 
diluted  with  water,  the  degree  of  dilution  depending 
upon  such  factors  as  the  rapacity  of  the  trader,  the 
eagerness  of  the  native  to  procure  the  rum,  and  the 
extent  of  his  sophistication  with  respect  to  the  use  of 
this  beverage. — Editor. 


304 


JOURNEY  TO  MONTREAL 

THE  days  being  now  lengthened  and  the 
snow  capable  of  bearing  the  foot,  we 
traveled  swiftly;  and  the  weather,  though 
cold,  was  very  fine. 

On  the  fifth  of  April  we  arrived  without 
accident  at  Cumberland  House,  On  our  way 
we  saw  nothing  living  except  wolves,  who 
followed  us  in  great  numbers,  and  against 
whom  we  were  obhged  to  use  the  precaution  of 
maintaining  large  fires  at  our  encampments. 

On  the  seventh  we  left  Cumberland  House, 
and  on  the  ninth,  in  the  morning,  reached  our 
fort  on  Beaver  Lake,  where  I  had  the  pleasure 
of  finding  my  friends  well. 

In  my  absence  the  men  had  supported  them- 
selves by  fishing;  and  they  were  all  in  health 
with  the  exception  of  one,  who  was  hurt  at  the 
Grand  Portage  by  a  canoe's  falling  upon  him. 

On  the  twelfth  Mr.  Thomas  Frobisher  with 
six  men  was  despatched  to  the  River  Churchill, 
where  he  was  to  prepare  a  fort,  and  inform 
such  Indians  as  he  might  see  on  their  way  to 
Hudson's  Bay  of  the  approaching  arrival  of 
his  partners. 

The  ice  was  still  in  the  same  state  as  in 
January;   but   as   the   season   advanced   the 

305 


^icranticr  i^cnrp 


quantity  of  fish  diminished,  insomuch  that 
Mr.  Joseph  Frobisher  and  myself  were  obliged 
to  fish  incessantly;  and  often,  notwithstanding 
every  exertion,  the  men  went  supperless  to 
bed.  In  a  situation  like  this  the  Canadians  are 
the  best  men  in  the  world ;  they  rarely  murmur 
at  their  lot,  and  their  obedience  is  yielded 
cheerfully. 

We  continued  fishing  till  the  fifth  of  May, 
when  we  saw  swans  flying  toward  the  Maligne. 
From  this  circumstance  and  from  our  knowl- 
edge of  the  rapidity  of  the  current  of  that 
river,  we  supposed  it  was  free  from  ice.  In 
consequence  I  proceeded  thither,  and  arriving 
in  the  course  of  a  day's  journey,  found  it 
covered  with  swans,  geese,  and  other  water- 
fowl, with  which  I  soon  loaded  my  sledge,  and 
then  returned  to  the  fort. 

The  passage  toward  the  Churchill  being 
thus  far  open,  we  left  our  fort  on  the  twenty- 
first  of  May,  forty  in  number,  and  with  no 
greater  stock  of  provision  than  a  single  supper. 
At  our  place  of  encampment  we  set  our  nets 
and  caught  more  fish  than  we  had  need  of,  and 
the  same  food  was  plenty  with  us  all  the  way. 
The  fish  were  pickerel  and  whitefish. 

On  the  twenty-second  we  crossed  two  car- 
rying-places of  half  a  mile  each,  through  a  level 
country,  with  marshes  on  the  border  of  the 
river.  The  sun  now  appeared  above  the  hori- 
zon at  half-past  eight  ^^  o  'clock  in  the  morning, 

''*  Apparently  a  misprint  for  half-past  three— Editor. 
306 


and  there  was  twilight  all  the  time  that  he  was 
below  it.  The  men  had  but  few  hours  for  rest, 
for  after  encamping  a  supper  was  not  only  to 
be  cooked,  but  caught,  and  it  was  therefore 
late  before  they  went  to  sleep.  Mr.  Frobisher 
and  myself  rose  at  three;  and  the  men  were 
stirring  still  earlier,  in  order  to  take  up  the 
nets,  so  that  we  might  eat  our  breakfast  and 
be  on  our  journey  before  sunrise. 

On  the  sixth  of  June  we  arrived  at  a  large 
lake,  which,  to  our  disappointment,  was  en- 
tirely frozen  over,  and  at  the  same  time  the 
ice  was  too  weak  to  be  walked  upon.  We  were 
now  fearful  of  detention  for  several  days,  but 
had  the  consolation  to  find  our  situation  well 
suppUed  with  fish.  On  the  following  night 
there  was  a  fall  of  snow,  which  lay  on  the  ground 
to  the  depth  of  a  foot.  The  wind  was  from  the 
northeast.  The  Indians  who  were  of  our  party 
hunted,  and  killed  several  elks,  or  moose  deer.^^ 
At  length  the  wind  changed  into  the  southern 
quarter,  on  which  we  had  rain,  and  the  snow 
melted.  On  the  tenth,  with  some  difiiculty 
we  crossed  the  lake,  which  is  twenty  miles 
in  length,  through  a  channel  opened  in  the  ice. 
On  the  fifteenth,  after  passing  several  carrying- 
places,  we  reached  the  River  Churchill,  Mis- 
sinibi,  or  Missinipi,  where  we  found  Mr. 
Thomas  Frobisher  and  his  men,  who  were  in 

^*  This  was,  of  course,  the  moose;  Henry  uses  the 
term  "red  deer"  to  designate  the  American  elk. — 
Editor. 

307 


^leranticr  !^enrp 


good  health  and  had  built  a  house  for  our  re- 
ception. 

The  whole  country  from  Beaver  Lake  to  the 
Missinipi  is  low  near  the  w^ater,  with  mountains 
in  the  distance.  The  uplands  have  a  growth  of 
small  pine  trees,  and  the  valleys,  of  birch  and 
spruce.  The  river  is  called  the  Churchill 
River,  from  Fort  Churchill  in  Hudson  Bay,  the 
most  northerly  of  the  company's  factories  or 
trading-houses,  and  which  is  seated  at  its 
mouth.  By  Mr.  Joseph  Frobisher  it  was 
named  English  River.  At  the  spot  where  our 
house  was  built  the  river  is  five  miles  wide  and 
very  deep.  We  were  estimated  by  the  Indians 
to  be  distant  three  hundred  miles  from  the 
sea.  Cumberland  House  was  to  the  south- 
ward of  us,  distant  four  hundred  miles.  We 
had  the  hght  of  the  sun  in  sufficient  quantity 
for  all  purposes  during  the  whole  twenty-four 
hours.  The  redness  of  his  rays  reached  far 
above  the  horizon. 

We  were  in  expectation  of  a  particular  band 
of  Indians,  and  as  few  others  made  their  ap- 
pearance we  resolved  on  ascending  the  river 
to  meet  them,  and  even,  in  failure  of  that 
event,  to  go  as  far  westward  as  Lake  Ara- 
buthcow,^"  distant  according  to  the  Indians 
four  hundred  and  fifty  miles. 

With  these  views  we  embarked  on  the  six- 
teenth with  six  Canadians  and  also  one  Indian 

™  Called  also  Athapiiscow,  and  Athabasca. — Author. 
Modern  Lake  Athabasca. — Editor. 


308 


woman,  in  the  capacity  of  a  guide,  in  which 
service  Mr.  Frobisher  had  previously  employed 
her. 

As  we  advanced  we  found  the  river  fre- 
quently widening  into  lakes  thirty  miles  long 
and  so  broad,  as  well  as  so  crowded  with  is- 
lands, that  we  were  unable  to  distinguish  the 
mainland  on  either  side.  Above  them  we  found 
a  strait,  in  which  the  channel  was  shallow, 
rocky,  and  broken,  with  the  attendant  features 
of  rapids  and  carrying-places.  The  country 
was  mountainous  and  thinly  wooded,  and  the 
banks  of  the  rirer  were  continued  rocks. 
Higher  up,  lofty  mountains  discovered  them- 
selves, destitute  even  of  moss,  and  it  was  only 
at  intervals  that  we  saw  afar  off  a  few  stunted 
pine  trees. 

On  the  fifth  day  we  reached  the  Rapide 
du  Serpent,  which  is  supposed  to  be  three 
hundred  miles  from  our  point  of  departure. 
We  found  whitefish  so  numerous  in  all  the 
rapids  that  shoals  of  many  thousands  were 
visible  with  their  backs  above  the  water.  The 
men  supplied  themselves  by  kilHng  them  with 
their  paddled.  The  water  is  clear  and  trans- 
parent. 

The  Rapide  du  Serpent  is  about  three  miles 
long  and  very  swift.  Above  this  we  reached 
another  rapid,  over  the  carrying-place  of 
which  we  carried  our  canoe.  At  this  place 
vegetation  began  to  reappear,  and  the  country 
became   level   and   of   an   agreeable   aspect. 

309 


^Icrantier  l^cnrp 


Nothing  human  had  hitherto  discovered  itself, 
but  we  had  seen  several  bears  and  two  cari- 
boux  on  the  sides  of  the  mountains,  without 
being  able  to  kill  anything. 

The  course  of  the  river  was  here  from  south 
to  north.  We  continued  our  voyage  till  the 
twenty-fourth,  when,  a  large  opening  being 
before  us,  we  saw  a  number  of  canoes  filled 
with  Indians  on  their  voyage  down  the  stream.'^ 
We  soon  met  each  other  in  the  most  friendly 
manner. 

We  made  presents  of  tobacco  to  the  chiefs, 
and  were  by  them  requested  to  put  to  shore 
that  we  might  encamp  together  and  improve 
our  acquaintance.  In  a  short  time  we  were 
visited  by  the  chiefs,  who  brought  us  beaver 
skins,  in  return  for  which  we  gave  a  second 
present;  and  we  now  proposed  to  them  to 
return  with  them  to  our  fort,  where  we  were 
provided  with  large  quantities  of  such  goods 
as  they  wanted.  They  received  our  proposal 
with  satisfaction. 

On  the  twenty-fifth  of  June  we  embarked 
with  all  the  Indians  in  our  company,  and 
continued  our  voyage  day  and  night,  stopping 
only  to  boil  our  kettle.  We  reached  our  house 
on  the  first  of  July. 

The  Indians  comprised  two  bands,  or  parties, 
each  bearing  the  name  of  its  chief,  of  whom 
one  was  called  the  Marten,  and  the  other  the 

"'  The  traders  had  reached  Lake  He  a  la  Crosse  on 
the  upper  Churchill  River. — Editor. 

310 


€rabd^  anti  illtibcnturciSf 

Rapid.  They  had  joined  for  mutual  defense 
against  the  Cristinaux,  of  whom  they  were  in 
continual  dread.  They  were  not  at  war  with 
that  nation,  but  subject  to  be  pillaged  by  its 
bands. 

While  the  lodges  of  the  Indians  were  setting 
up  the  chiefs  paid  us  a  visit,  at  which  they 
received  a  large  present  of  merchandise,  and 
agreed  to  our  request  that  we  should  be  per- 
mitted to  purchase  the  furs  of  their  bands. 

They  inquired  whether  or  not  we  had  any 
rum;  and,  being  answered  in  the  afi&rmative, 
they  observed  that  several  of  their  young  men 
had  never  tasted  that  liquor,  and  that  if  it 
was  too  strong  it  would  affect  their  heads. 
Our  rum  was  in  consequence  submitted  to 
their  judgment;  and  after  tasting  it  several 
times  they  pronounced  it  to  be  too  strong,  and 
requested  that  we  would  order  a  part  of  the 
spirit  to  evaporate.  We  comphed  by  adding 
more  water  to  what  had  received  a  large  pro- 
portion of  that  element  before;  and  this  being 
done,  the  chiefs  signified  their  approbation. 

We  remarked  that  no  other  Indian  approached 
our  house  while  the  chiefs  were  in  it.  The 
chiefs  observed  to  us  that  their  young  men, 
while  sober,  would  not  be  guilty  of  any  ir- 
regularity, but  that  lest  when  in  liquor  they 
should  be  troublesome,  they  had  ordered  a 
certain  number  not  to  drink  at  all,  but  main- 
tain a  constant  guard.  We  found  their  orders 
punctually  obeyed,  and  not  a  man  attempted 

3" 


^Icjcanticr  l^cnrp 


to  enter  our  house  during  all  the  night.  I  say 
all  the  night  because  it  was  in  the  course  of 
this  night,  the  next  day,  and  the  night  follow- 
ing, that  our  traffic  was  pursued  and  finished. 
The  Indians  delivered  their  skins  at  a  small 
window  made  for  that  purpose,  asking  at  the 
same  time  for  the  different  things  they  wished 
to  purchase,  and  of  which  the  prices  had  been 
previously  settled  with  the  chiefs.  Of  these 
some  were  higher  than  those  quoted  from  Fort 
des  Prairies. 

On  the  third  morning  this  little  fair  was 
closed,  and  on  making  up  our  packs  we  found 
that  we  had  purchased  twelve  thousand  beaver 
skins,  besides  large  numbers  of  otter  and 
marten. 

Our  customers  were  from  Lake  Arabuthcow, 
of  which  and  the  surrounding  country  they 
were  the  proprietors,  and  at  which  they  had 
wintered.  They  informed  us  that  there  was  at 
the  farther  end  of  that  lake  a  river,  called 
Peace  River ,^-  which  descended  from  the  Stony 
or  Rocky  Mountains,  and  from  which  moun- 
tains the  distance  to  the  salt  lake,  meaning  the 
Pacific  Ocean,  was  not  great;  that  the  lake 
emptied  itself  by  a  river  which  ran  to  the  north- 

"-  Henry  was  on  the  eve  of  making  a  great  discovery, 
for  the  Peace  River  was  first  explored  by  Alexander 
Mackenzie  in  1792.  It  takes  its  name,  according  to 
Mackenzie  from  Peace  Point,  a  place  where  a  treaty  was 
concluded  between  the  Christinaux  and  the  Beaver 
Indians. — Editor. 

312 


ward,  which  they  called  Kiratchinini  Sibi,^'' 
or  Slave  River/*  and  which  flows  into  another 
lake,  called  by  the  same  name;  but  whether 
this  lake  was  or  was  not  the  sea,  or  whether  it 
emptied  itself  or  not  into  the  sea  they  were 
unable  to  say.  They  were  at  war  with  the 
Indians  who  hve  at  the  bottom  of  the  river 
where  the  water  is  salt.  They  also  made  war 
on  the  people  beyond  the  mountains  toward 
the  Pacific  Ocean,  to  which  their  warriors  had 
frequently  been  near  enough  to  see  it.  Though 
we  conversed  with  these  people  in  the  Cree,  or 
Cristinaux  language,  which  is  the  usual  me- 
dium of  communication,  they  were  Chepe- 
wyans,  or  Rocky  Mountain  Indians. 

They  were  in  possession  of  several  ultra- 
montane prisoners,  two  of  whom  we  purchased; 
one,  a  woman  of  twenty-five  years  of  age, 
and  the  other  a  boy  of  twelve.  They  had  both 
been  recently  taken,  and  were  unable  to  speak 
the  language  of  their  masters.  They  conversed 
with  each  other  in  a  language  exceedingly 
agreeable  to  the  ear,  composed  of  short  words, 
and  spoken  with  a  quick  utterance.  We  gave 
for  each  a  gun. 

The  dress  of  the  Chepewyans  nearly  re- 
sembled that  of  the  Cristinaux,  except  that  it 
was  composed  of  beaver  and  marten  skins 
instead  of  those  of  the  ox  and  elk.    We  found 

^'  Or  Yatchinini  Sipi. — Author. 

''*  These  are  the  rivers  which  have  since  been  ex- 
plored by  Sir  Alexander  Mackenzie. — Author. 

313 


^llerantier  l^enrp 


these  people  orderly  and  unoffending,  and  they 
appeared  to  consider  the  whites  as  creatures  of 
a  superior  order,  to  whom  everything  is  known. 

The  women  were  dirty,  and  very  inatten- 
tive to  their  whole  persons,  the  head  excepted, 
which  they  painted  with  red  ocher,  in  defect 
of  vermilion.  Both  themselves  and  their  hus- 
bands for  them  were  forward  in  seeking  a  loose 
intercourse  with  the  Europeans.  The  for- 
mer appeared  vain  of  soUcitation,  and  having 
first  obtained  the  consent  of  their  husbands, 
afterward  communicated  to  them  their  suc- 
cess. The  men,  who  no  doubt  thought  with 
the  Cristinaux  on  this  subject,^^  were  the  first 
to  speak  in  behalf  of  their  wives;  and  were  even 
in  the  practice  of  carrying  them  to  Hudson 
Bay,  a  journey  of  many  hundred  miles,  on  no 
other  errand. 

Having  been  fortunate  enough  to  administer 
medical  reHef  to  one  of  these  Indians  during 
their  stay,  I  came  to  be  considered  as  a  phy- 
sician, and  found  that  this  was  a  character 
held  in  high  veneration.  Their  solicitude  and 
creduhty  as  to  drugs  and  nostrums  had  ex- 
posed them  to  gross  deceptions  on  the  part 
of  the  agents  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company. 
One  of  the  chiefs  informed  me  that  he  had 
been  at  the  Bay  the  year  before,  and  there  pur- 
chased a  quantity  of  medicines,  which  he  would 
allow  me  to  inspect.   Accordingly,  he  brought 

^'  See  page  249. — Author.  Page  241  of  this  volume. — • 
Editor. 

314 


Crabel^  and  ^dbenturc^ 

a  bag  containing  numerous  small  papers,  in 
which  I  found  lumps  of  white  sugar,  grains  of 
coffee,  pepper,  allspice,  cloves,  tea,  nutmegs, 
ginger  and  other  things  of  this  kind,  sold  as 
specifics  against  evil  spirits,  and  against  the 
dangers  of  battle;  as  giving  power  over  enemies, 
and  particularly  the  white  bear,^®  of  which  the 
Indians  in  these  latitudes  are  much  afraid: 
others  were  infallible  against  barrenness  in 
women;  against  difficult  labors;  and  against 
a  variety  of  other  affiictions.  In  a  second 
parcel  I  found  small  prints;  the  identical  ones 
which  in  England  are  commonly  sold  in  sheets 
to  children,  but  each  of  which  was  here  trans- 
formed into  a  talisman,  for  the  cure  of  some 
evil,  or  obtention  of  some  delight:  No.  i.  "A 
sailor  kissing  his  mistress,  on  his  return  from 
sea";  this,  worn  about  the  person  of  a  gallant, 
attracted,  though  concealed,  the  affections  of 
the  sex!  No.  2.  "A  soldier  in  Arms";  this 
poured  a  sentiment  of  valor  into  the  possessor, 
and  gave  him  the  strength  of  a  giant ! 

'^  Apparently  the  grizzly  bear.  Although  Theodore 
Roosevelt  has  rather  made  light  of  the  danger  of  hunting 
the  grizzly,  to  meet  him  with  a  modern  high-power 
rifle  is  a  different  matter  than  it  was  to  meet  him  with 
the  inferior  weapons  possessed  by  the  natives  a  century 
or  more  ago.  Moreover,  the  grizzly  himself  has  learned 
something  by  his  hundred  years  of  contact  with  the 
white  man,  and  is,  apparently,  a  far  less  pugnacious 
animal  than  he  was  in  former  times.  Lewis  and  Clark, 
dauntless  seekers  of  adventure  as  they  were,  found  the 
grizzly  a  foe  to  be  dreaded;  "I  must  confess,"  records 
Lewis,  "that  I  do   not  like   the  gentlemen,  and   had 

31S 


^lejranlicr  l^mrp 


By  means  of  these  commodities  many  cus- 
tomers were  secured  to  the  company;  and  even 
those  Indians  who  shortened  their  voyage  by 
deaHng  with  us  sent  forward  one  canoe,  laden 
with  beaver  skins,  to  purchase  articles  of  this 
kind  at  Cumberland  House.  I  did  not  venture 
to  dispute  their  value. 

This  part  of  our  commercial  adventure 
completed,  Mr.  Frobisher  and  myself  left  the 
remainder  of  our  merchandise  in  the  care  of 
Mr.  Thomas  Frobisher,  who  was  to  proceed 
with  them  to  Lake  Arabuthcow,  and  on  the 
fourth  of  July,  set  out  on  our  return  to  the 
Grand  Portage. 

In  recrossing  Beaver  Lake  the  wind  obliged 
us  to  put  into  a  bay  which  I  had  not  visited 
before.  Taking  my  gun  I  went  into  the  woods 
in  search  of  game;  but  I  had  not  advanced 
more  than  half  a  mile  when  I  found  the  country 
almost  inaccessible  by  reason  of  masses  of 
rock  which  were  scattered  in  all  directions: 
some  were  as  large  as  houses,  and  lay  as  if  they 
had  been  first  thrown  into  the  air  and  then 
suffered  to  fall  into  their  present  posture.  By 
a  circuitous  route  I  at  last  ascended  the  moun- 
tain, from  one  side  of  which  they  had  fallen; 
the  whole  body  was  fractured,  and  separated 
by  large  chasms.  In  some  places  parts  of  the 
mountain  of  half  an  acre  in  surface  were  raised 
above  the  general  level.   It  was  a  scene  for  the 

rather  fight  two  Indians  than  one  bear." — Editor. 
316 


warfare  of  the  Titans,  or  for  that  of  Milton's 
angels ! 

The  river,  which,  when  we  first  arrived  at 
Cumberland  House,  had  run  with  a  swift  cur- 
rent into  the  Sascatchiwaine,  now  ran  in  a 
contrary  direction,  toward  the  lake.  This  was 
owing  to  the  rise  of  water  in  the  Sascatchi- 
waine, from  which  same  cause  all  the  lowlands 
were  at  this  time  overflowed. 

Our  twilight  nights  continued  till  we  were 
to  the  southward  of  Lake  Winipegon.  The 
weather  was  so  favorable  that  we  crossed  that' 
lake  in  six  days,  though  in  going  it  took  us 
thirty. 

On  an  island  in  the  Lake  of  the  Woods  we 
saw  several  Indians,  toward  whom  we  made  in 
hopes  to  purchase  provisions,  of  which  we  were 
much  in  want;  and  whom  we  found  full  of  a 
story  that  some  strange  nation  had  entered 
Montreal,  taken  Quebec,  killed  all  the  Eng- 
lish, and  would  certainly  be  at  the  Grand 
Portage  before  we  arrived  there." 

On  my  remarking  to  Mr.  Frobisher  that  I 
suspected  the  Basionnais  (Bostonians,  or 
English  colonists)  had  been  doing  some  mis- 
chief in  Canada,  the  Indians  directly  exclaimed, 
"Yes,  that  is  the  name!    Basionnais.'"    They 

"  General  Montgomery  captured  Montreal  Novem- 
ber 12,  1775,  and  was  killed  while  vainly  assaulting 
Quebec  on  the  last  day  of  the  year.  In  May,  1776,  the 
American  force  raised  the  siege  and  retreated  to  New 
England. — Editor. 

317 


^IcjcanDcr  I^cnrp 


were  lately  from  the  Grand  Portage,  and  ap- 
peared seriously  apprehensive  that  the  Bas- 
tonnais  were  coming  into  the  Northwest^^ 

At  the  Forks  of  the  River  a  la  Pluie  there 
were  a  large  number  of  Indians  under  a  friendly 
chief,  with  which  latter  I  had  had  a  previous 
acquaintance.  On  my  visiting  him  he  told  me 
that  there  was  bad  news;  and  then  repeated  the 
story  which  we  had  heard  on  the  Lake  of  the 
Woods,  adding  that  some  of  his  young  men  were 
evil  incHned,  and  that  he  wished  us  immediately 
to  depart.  We  were  not  deaf  to  the  admonition, 
of  the  grounds  of  which  we  stayed  long  enough 
to  be  convinced.  We  were  roughly  importuned 
for  rum;  and  one  of  the  Indians,  after  we  had 
embarked,  fetched  his  gun  and  fired  at  us 
twice,  but  without  effect. 

No  further  accident  attended  our  voyage 
to  the  Grand  Portage,  from  which  place  we 
pursued  the  route  to  Montreal,  where  we 
arrived  on  the  fifteenth  of  October.  We  found 
the  province  deUvered  from  the  irruption  of 
the  colonists,  and  protected  by  the  forces  of 
General  Burgoyne. 

'^  Bastonnais  {Bosionnais,  Bostonians)  is  the  name 
by  which  the  Canadians  describe  all  the  inhabitants  of 
the  English  colonies,  now  the  United  States;  and  in  the 
Northwest  the  English  traders  commonly  use  the 
French  language. — Author. 


318 


Index 


%nhtv 


Abitibi  Lake,  route  by,  228. 

Abitibi  River,  route  by,  228. 

Albany,  Henry  procures  goods  at,  4,  12. 

AUouez,  Claude  Jean,  mission  station  at  Chequamegon 
Bay,  184. 

Amherst,  Gen.  Sir  Jeffrey,  expedition  against  Montreal, 
xii,  3;  captures  Montreal,  80. 

Amikoue  (Amicway,  Amicwac)  Indians,  on  Manitou- 
lin  Island,  36. 

Amisk  Lake,  see  Beaver  Lake. 

Anderson,  Capt.  Thomas  G.,  reports  Indian  legend, 
204. 

Andre,  Louis,  at  Keweenaw  Bay,  212. 

Anse  a  la  P^che,  see  Oak  Bay. 

Ashland  (Wis.),  on  Chequamegon  Bay,  184. 

Aspen  trees,  food  for  beaver,  126. 

Assiniboin  Indians,  treatment  of  slaves,  266,  295-97; 
Henry  joins,  267;  hospitality,  274-83,  302;  cus- 
tom of  weeping,  276-77;  buffalo  hunt  described, 
284-86;  boundaries,  287-88;  methods  of  warfare, 
288;  procure  horses  from  Spaniards,  289;  relations 
with  Cristinaux,  302. 

Athabasca  (Arabuthcow,  Athapuscow)  Lake,  des- 
tination of  Henry,  308. 

Au  Sable  River,  Henry  winters  on,  123-46;  identified, 
124. 

Baggatiway,  Indian  ball  game,  played  at  Fort  Michili- 
mackinac,  78,  86-87. 

Bain,  James,  edits  Henry's  narrative,  xxi. 

Balfour,  Capt.  Henry,  commands  English  troops  in 
Northwest,  52. 

Barges,  Colonel  Bradstreet  builds,  176. 
321 


^Fntiejc 


Baxter,  Alexander,  on  mineralogical  tour,  210;  partner 
in  mining  company,  217;  terminates  business  of 
company,  226. 

Baxter, ,  partner  in  mining  company,  226. 

Bear,  hunts,  138-39,  193;  Indian  superstitions  con- 
cerning, 139-40;  feast,  140;  habits,  141;  in  Nani- 
bojou  legend,  209;  meat  purchased,  256;  on  plains 
of  Saskatchewan,  289;  on  Churchill  River,  310; 
Grizzly,  as  fighter,  315-16. 

Beaujeau  de  Villemonde,  evacuates  Michilimackinac, 
52,  89. 

Beaver,  dams,  30;  price  of  skins  at  Michilimackinac, 
56;  habits,  125-28;  methods  of  hunting,  125,  127- 
28;  as  food,  128;  number  caught,  132,  196-97; 
lodge,  137;  as  medium  of  exchange,  183-84;  at 
Michilimackinac,  202;  on  Saskatchewan  River, 
248;  meat  purchased,  256;  skins  as  presents,  281; 
purchased,  312. 

Beaver  Islands,  historical  sketch,  94;  destination  of 
English  captives,  94-97. 

Beaver  Lake,  Henry  winters  on,  253-56,  305-306; 
traverses,  316. 

Beaver  River,  see  River  aux  Castors. 

Bedford-Jones,  Henry,  attacks  Henry's  narrative,  xvii- 
xx;   theory  concerning  Wawatam,«i 55-56. 

Big  Sable  River,  Henry  winters  in  vicinity,  124. 

Birch  trees,  food  for  Beaver,  126;  on  Churchill  River, 
308. 

Blackfoot  Indians,  country  explored,  252;  neighbors 
of  Assiniboin.  288. 

Bodoine,  Jean   Baptiste,  guides  Henry  to  Montreal, 

Bostonnais    (Bastonnais,    Bostonians),    sobriquet    of 

American  colonists,  317-18. 
Bostwick,    Henry,    visits    Michilimackinac,    13;     in 

massacre,  91,  95,  105;  partner  in  mining  company, 

217,  226. 
Bourbon,  Fort,  on  Cedar  Lake,  248. 
Bourbon,  Lake  de,  see  Cedar  Lake. 
Bourbon  River,  see  Saskatchewan  River. 

322 


S^ntiej: 


Boutchitaouy  Bay,  arm  of  Lake  Huron,  37;  route  by, 
68;  Henry  at,  115,  151. 

Braddock's  defeat,  52,  80. 

Bradstreet,  Col.  John,  career,  174;  expedition  to 
Detroit,  174-79. 

British  Museum,  specimens  presented,  222. 

Buffalo,  skins  as  tents,  249;  as  clothing,  258;  numbers, 
265,  273;  tongues  eaten,  273;  uses  subserved 
among  Assiniboin,  282,  301-302;  hunt  described, 
284-86. 

Buffalo's  Head  Island,  in  Lake  Winnipeg,  244. 

Burgoyne,  Gen.  John,  in  Revolutionary  War,  318. 

Burial  customs,  108,  144-45,  293-95. 

Cadotte,  Jean  Baptiste  Jr.,  fur  trader,  60. 

Cadotte,  Jean  Baptiste,  Sr.,  interpreter  at  Sault  Ste. 
Marie,  60;  influence  over  Indians,  151,  156;  pro- 
tects Henry,  157-58;  partner  of  Henry,  184;  goes 
to  Fort  des  Prairies,  253. 

Cadotte,  Madame,  rescues  Henry,  154-56. 

Cadotte,  Michel,  fur  trader,  60. 

Cahokia  (111.),  Pontiac  slain  at,  179. 

Campion,  Etienne,  enters  employ  of  Henry,  12-13; 
Henry  entrusts  business  to,  39;  brings  news,  51. 

Canadians,  relations  with  Indians,  34;  hostility 
toward  English,  40;  monopoly  of  fur  trade,  54; 
onlookers  at  massacre,  80;  prisoners  entrusted  to, 
91-92;  in  Captain  Howard's  expedition,  179-80; 
contemplate  cannibalism,  212-13. 

Cannibalism,  prisoners  eaten,  71,  98,  104-105;  among 
Indians,  199-201;  proposed,  212-13. 

Canoes,  of  traders  described,  15-16;  method  of  making, 
172;  of  Northwest  described,  230-31;  disposition 
in  winter,  254. 

Caribou,  on  island  of  Yellow  Sands,  219-21;  on  Church- 
ill River,  310. 

Caribou  Island,  see  Island  of  Yellow  Sands. 

Carver,  Capt.  Jonathan,  account  of  rites  of  medicine 
men,  166;  death  of  Pontiac,  178-79;  legends  of 
Island  of  Yellow  Sands,  216-17;  niines  of  Lake 
Superior.  224-25;    French  raid,  228. 

323 


'^nhtx 


Cass,  Gov.  Lewis,  holds  peace  council,  189-90. 

Castor,  Isles  du,  see  Beaver  Islands. 

Castors,  River  aux,  trade  route  by,  254. 

Catfish,  in  Lake  Winnipeg,  244. 

Cat  Lake,  see  Lake  du  Bonnet. 

Cave  of  the  Bones,  at'Michilimackinac,  109-112. 

Cedar  trees,  on  Cedar  Lake,  247. 

Cedres,  Rapides  des,  boats  wrecked,  xiii,  4. 

Champlain,  Samuel  de.  account  of  rites  of  medicine 

men,  166. 
Chatique   (Pelican),   Indian  chief,  plunders  traders, 

249-51- 

Chats,  Lake  des,  described,  24. 

Chaudiere  Franjaise,  Portage,  La,  on  French  River, 
31-32- 

Chenes,  Portage  des,  described,  23. 

Chepeweyan  Indians,  intercourse  with  Henry,  310-16; 
women,  314;   medical  ideas,  314-16. 

Chequamegon  (Chagouemig,  Chagouemigon)  Bay, 
Henry  winters  at,  184-97;  historical  sketch,  184- 
85;  Chippewa  of,  189-90. 

Chippewa  Indians,  capture  Henry  Bostwick,  13; 
village  on  Michilimackinac  Island,  37-38;  council 
with  Henry,  41-46;  of  Lake  Superior,  Henry  plans 
trading  expedition  to,  47;  village  at  Sault  Ste. 
Marie,  61;  language  spoken  by  Cadottes,  62; 
Henry  learns,  62;  massacre  English,  78-82;  in- 
fluence of  J.  B.  Cadotte,  Sr.,  over,  151;  enmity  of 
Iroquois,  159;  Great  Turtle  as  guardian  spirit, 
160-66;  make  peace,  180;  tradition  concerning 
defeat  of  Iroquois,  185-86;  of  Chequamegon  Bay, 
189-90;  warfare  with  Sioux,  189-90,  195-96; 
Wood  Indians  derive  language  from,  206;  of  Lake 
Sagunac,  plunder  traders.  232-33;  destroyed  by 
Sioux,  232;  of  Rainy  River,  exact  tribute,  233-34; 
Pillager  band  destroyed,  236. 

Churchill  (Missinibi,  Missinipi)  River,  Henry  and 
party  visit,  305-16;  origin  of  name,  308. 

Claies,  Lake  aux,  see  Lake  Simcoe. 

324 


^nhtx 


Cocking,  Matthew,  explorations  of,  252;  hospitality  to 
traders,  258. 

Copper,  on  Ontonagon  River,  186-87,  i97;  on  north 
shore  of  Lake  Superior,  203,  205;  on  Nanibojou 
Island,  222;  attempts  to  mine,  218-24. 

Copper  Rock,  sketch  of  197. 

Come,  Fort  a  la,  location,  265. 

Come,  M.  de  la,  builds  fort,  265. 

Cougars,  see  panthers. 

Court  Oreilles  Indians,  sobriquet  for  Ottawa,  192. 

Court  Oreilles,  Lac,  refuge  of  Ottawa,  191-92. 

Cristinaux  (Christinaux,  Kristinaux,  Killistinoes,  Cree) 
Indians,  language  of  Wood  Indians  derived  from, 
206;  of  Lake  Winnipeg  described,  239-43;  resem- 
blances to  Assiniboin,  289;  relations  with,  302; 
visit  Fort  des  Prairies,  301;  thievery  among,  302; 
language  as  trade  medium,  313. 

Cruickshank, ,  partner  in  mining  company,  226. 

Cuchoise,  John,  befriends  Henry,  93-94. 

Cumberland  House,  Heniy  visits,  258.  305. 

Cumberland  Lake,  see  Sturgeon  Lake. 

Cumberland  Station,  see  Pas  Mission. 

Dams,  beaver,  30. 

Dancing,  among  Assiniboin,  287. 

Dauphin,  Fort,  Peter  Pond  goes  to,  253. 

Davers,  Sir  Robert,  English  traveler,  visits  Sault  Ste. 
Marie,  70;   killed,  71. 

Deluge,  myth  of,  209. 

Detour,  Point  du,  in  Lake  Fluron,  36;  Henry  passes, 
59;  encamps  at,  66-67. 

Detroit,  siege  of,  174;  expedition  of  Bradstreet  to, 
174-79;  Peter  Pond  at,  243-44. 

Deux  Montagnes,  Lake  des,  Henry  reaches,  19. 

Devil's  Hole,  massacre.  175. 

Dogs,  sacrificed,  107,  125,  144,  170,  289;  as  beasts  of 
burden,  269,  298;  numbers  among  Assiniboin.  280. 

Dreams,  of  Indian  women,  147;   of  Wawatam's  wife, 

151- 
Ducharme,  Jean  Marie,  fur  trader,  72. 
Ducharme,  Laurent,  fur  trader,  72. 

32s 


Duels,  by  Peter  Pond,  244. 

Duluth,  Daniel  Greysolon,  on  Chequamegon  Bay,  185. 

Edward  Augustus,  Fort,  at  Green  Bay,  106. 

Elk,  see  red  deer. 

English,  Indian  hostility  toward,  34;  prisoners  slain, 
104-105;  Indians  fear  vengeance,  147-48. 

English  River,  see  Churchill  River. 

Erie,  see  Presqu'isle. 

Erie,  Fort,  Bradstreet's  army  at,  176. 

Etherington,  Capt.  George,  commandant  at  Michili- 
mackinac  52,  68;  discredits  reports  of  Indian  dis- 
affection, 72-73;  in  massacre  of  Fort  Michili- 
mackinac,  91-92,  95. 

Falls,  of  the  Rideau,  described,  21;  of  La  Grande 
Chaudiere,  21-22. 

Famine,  at  Sault  Ste.  Marie,  198-202;  overtakes 
Flenry's  party,  211-13;  threatened,  261-63. 

Farley,  Jacques  Phillipe,  interpreter  at  Michilimacki- 
nac,  41;  relations  with  English  traders.  50-51, 

Feasts,  on  prisoners,  71,  98,  104-105;  of  maize,  130-31; 
of  bear  meat,  140,  194-95;  to  Great  Spirit,  144; 
Indians  propose  to  eat  Henry,  150;  at  Missisaki 
River,  167;  of  buffalo  tongues,  273;  among  Assin- 
iboin,  275-79,  282. 

Finlay,  James,  Jr.,  fur  trader,  260. 

Finlay,  James,  Sr.,  in  Northwest,  260. 

Finlay  River,  name,  260. 

Fish,  in  Lake  Nipissing,  30;  food  supply  at  Sault  Ste. 
Marie,  63,  198;  methods  of  taking,  65-66;  at 
Chequamegon  Bay,  191;  in  Saskatchewan  River, 
247;  in  Beaver  Lake,  254-55,  305-306.  See  also 
the  several  varieties. 

Fishing  Cove,  see  Oak  Bay. 

Flies,  pest  of,  29,  62. 

Fond  du  Lac,  Henry  sends  goods  to,  188;  warriors  from, 
189. 

Fort  Nelson  River,  outlet  of  Lake  Winnipeg,  247, 

Foxes,  on  plains  of  Saskatchewan,  289. 

Fox  Point,  see  Wagoshense. 

French  River  (River  des  Franjais),  Henry  descends,  32. 

326 


S^nDer 


Frobisher,  Benjamin,  memorial  on  Northwest  trade, 

233;  career,  245. 
Frobisher,  Joseph,  memorial  on  Northwest  trade,  237; 

career,  245;   companion  of  Henry,  257-58.  316. 
Frobisher,  Thomas,  career,  245;  starts  for  Churchill 

River,   305;    names   Churchill  River,   308;    takes 

charge  of  merchandise,  316. 
Furs,  as  medium  of  exchange,  55-56.    See  also  fur  trade. 
Fur  trade,  Henry  enters  upon,  xiii,  11-12;   canoes  and 

brigades    described,    15-17;     Michilimackinac    as 

center,  41;  food  of  voyageurs,  54;  of  Lake  Superior 

given  to  Henry,    183;    disorder  threatened,    192; 

returns   from,    196-97,    210;     at    Grand    Portage, 

229-30;    Peter  Pond's  career,   243-44;    Northwest 

Company  organized,  244;    rivalry  in,  303;     prices 

of  goods,  303-309;  deception  practiced,  314-16. 
Gage,  Gen.  Thomas,  grants  Henry  permission  to  go  to 

Michilimackinac,   13;    condemns  conduct  of  Col. 

Bradstreet,  178. 
Geese,  on  Island  of  Yellow  Sands,  220. 
Gens  de  Terre  Indians,  see  Wood  Indians. 
Gladwin,  Gen.  Henry,  career,  174. 
Gloucester,  Duke  of,  partner  in  mining  company,  226. 
Goddard,  James  S.,  trader,  at  Michilimackinac,  48. 
Gold,  search  for  on  Michipicoten  Island,  215;  on  Island 

of  Yellow  Sands,  219-20. 
Grand  Calumet,  Portage  du,  described,  25-26. 
Grand  Calumet  River,  channels  of,  25. 
Grand  Portage,  Henry  plans  trading  expedition  to,  47; 

as  fur  trade  center,  229-30;  passage  of,  230. 
Grand  Rapide,  on  Saskatchewan  River,  246. 
Grand  Sable,  Le,  Indian  chief,  slays  prisoners,  104. 
Grand  Sauteur,  see  Minavavana. 
Grand  Traverse  Bay,  Henry  crosses,  147-48. 
Grande  Chaudiere,  La,  falls  described,  21-22;  portage 

described,  22-23. 
Grande  Faucille,  Portage  de  la,  on  French  River,  32. 
Grant,  James,  in  Northwest  fur  trade,  267. 
Grant  County  (Wis.),  named,  267. 
Grant  River,  named,  267. 

327  ' 


^nntx 


Great  Hare,  see  Xanibojou. 

Great  Road,  Indian  chief,  sends  messengers,  272; 
entertains  Henry,  275-78;  personal  appearance, 
277-78;  speech,  281;  visits  Fort  des  Prairies, 
298-302. 

Great  Spirit,  sacrifices  to,  107,  125,  144;  deprives 
beaver  of  speech,  128;  feasts  to,  144,  193-95; 
Wawatam  commends  Henry  to,  155;  invoked  by 
Chippewa,  161-66;  residence  on  islands  of  Lake 
Superior,  36,  216-17. 

Great  Turtle,  guardian  spirit  of  Chippewa,  160; 
ceremony  of  invoking,  161-66. 

Green  Bay,  English  send  garrison  to,  52;  saved  by 
Ottawa  Indians,  106. 

Grondines,  Point  aux,  in  Lake  Huron,  33;  Henry 
visits,  167-69. 

Groseilliers,  IMedard  Chouart,  Sieur  de,  winters  at 
Chequamegon  Bay,  184. 

Hamilton,  Gov.  Henry,  report  upon  pay  due  Canadian 
militia,  179-80. 

Hares,  hunted,  55;  use  by  Wood  Indians,  62. 

Hauteur  de  Terre,  see  Land's  Height. 

Hawks,  on  Island  of  Yellow  Sands,  220. 

Hearne,  Samuel,  pleads  for  life  of  prisoner,  83;  explora- 
tions of,  251-52. 

Hedge  hog,  see  Porcupine. 

Henry,  Alexander,  sketch  of  career,  xii-xv;  joins  army 
of  Gen.  Amherst,  xii,  3;  enters  fur  trade,  xiii; 
loses  merchandise,  xiii,  4;  estimate  of  narrative, 
xv-xxi;  editions  of,  x.xi-xxii;  winters  at  Fort 
Levis,  4;  visits  Albany,  4,  12;  learns  use  of  snow 
shoes,  5;  attacked  by  Indians,  6-7;  journey  to 
Michilimackinac,  15-39,  66-68,  70-71,  114,  147-49, 
179-80,  201-202;  to  Sault  Ste.  Marie,  59,  68-69, 
151-56;  winters  at  Sault  Ste.  Marie,  60-66, 180,  198- 
202;  learns  Chippewa  language,  62,  76;  in  massacre 
of  Fort  Michilimackinac,  78-87;  captivity,  88-99; 
rescued  by  Wawatam,  99-103;  disguised  as  Indian, 
1 13-14;  goes  to  Boutchitaouy  Bay,  115;  winters 
on  Au  Sable  River,   123-46;    resigned  to  savage 

328 


S'nticr 


life,  129;  lost,  132-37;  bear  hunt,  138-39,  193; 
proceeds  of  winter's  hunt,  149;  life  threatened,  150, 
157;  disguised  as  Canadian,  156;  journey  to  Fort 
Niagara,  159-60,  166-73;  commands  Indian  bat- 
talion, 175-77;  goes  to  Oak  Bay,  198-201;  winters 
at  Michipicoten,  203-17;  explores  Michipicoten 
Island,  215;  Island  of  Yellow  Sands,  219-21; 
mining  operations,  219-26;  journey  to  Lake  Winni- 
peg, 227-42;  from  Lake  Winnipeg  to  Beaver  Lake, 
243-53;  winters  on  Beaver  Lake,  253-56,  305-306; 
journey  to  Fort  des  Prairies,  257-67;  tour  of  plains, 
267-87;  298-301;  return  to  Beaver  Lake,  303-305; 
visits  Churchill  River,  305-16;  returns  to  Mont- 
real, 316-18. 

Henry,  Alexander,  the  Younger,  xv. 

Henry,  William,  xv. 

Highlanders,  at  Cumberland  House,  241-2. 

Hole-in-the-Day,  Chippewa  chief,  190. 

Holmes,  William,  tours  plains  of  Saskatchewan,  267. 

Horses,  Among  Assiniboin,  280,  300. 

Howard,    Capt. ,   leads   expedition    to   recover 

Fort  Michilimackinac,  179-80. 

Hudson's  Bay  Company,  posts  raided,  228;  station 
of,  251;  rivalry  with  North-West  Company,  252; 
builds  Fort  a  la  Corne,  265;  traders  deceive  Indians, 
314-16. 

Huron  Indians,  village  on  Detroit  River,  180. 

Huron  Lake,  islands  described,  35-36;  Henry  traverses, 
33-38;  166-71,  180. 

Ile  a  la  Crosse  Lake,  Henry  reaches,  310. 

Indians,  drink  liquor,  6-7,  109-111;  entertain  Henry,  8; 
hostile  to  English,  34,72-77;  slavery  among,  81, 
266,  295-97;  sacrifices,  107,  125,  144,  163,  170-171, 
205,  289;  burial  customs,  108,  144-45,  293-95; 
cannibalism,  71,  98,  104-105,  199-201;  medical 
practices,  113-22;  161-66;  diseases,  116-17;  super- 
stitions, 139-40,  151,  161-66,  168-71;  belief  con- 
cerning future  life,  145-46;  ownership  of  land, 
144;  battalion  formed,  175-77;  cruelty  to  prisoners, 

329 


g^nDcjc 


266,  302;  use  of  tobacco,  273;  guards  among,  274, 

280,  282-83,  311-12;   marriage  customs,  290-93. 
Iroquois  Indians,  influence  of  Sir  William  Johnson 

over,  159;    hostility  to  Chippewa,  159;    tradition 

concerning  defeat  by  Chippewa,  185-86;    Ottawa 

seek  asylum  from,  192;  cruelty  to  prisoners,  266. 
Iroquois  Point,  name,  185-86;    Henry  camps  on,  222. 
Iron  River,  in  Ontonagon  county,  187. 
Jamet,    Ensign    John,    commandant    at    Sault    Ste. 

Marie,    62;    journey   to   Michilimackinac,    66-68; 

slain,  79,  92. 
Jesuits,  missionary  at  Michilimackinac,  40;    mission 

at  L'Arbre  Croche,  47 ;    of  St.  Ignatius,  1 23. 
Johnson,  Sir  William,  kindness  to  prisoners,  57;  sends 

embassy  to  western  Indians,   158-59;  career,  158- 

59;    friendship   prophesied,    164-65;    kindness  to 

Henry,  173;  partner  in  mining  enterprise,  226. 
KAMiNiSTiQtnA,  trading  house  at,  229. 
Keweenaw  Bay,  Father  Menard  at,  212. 
Kinzie,  John,  in  Fort  Dearborn  massacre,  83. 
Kichi  Manito,  see  Great  Spirit. 
Lachine,  head  of  fur-trade  navigation,  17. 
La  Cloche  Island,  Henry  visits.  33-34,  167;  name,  33; 

inhabitants  attend  peace  council,  167. 
La  Crosse,  ball  game,  see  Baggatiway. 
Lake  of  the  Woods,  Henrj^  traverses,  234-37. 
Land,  Indian  ownership  of,  144. 
Land's  Height,  described,  231-32. 
Langlade,  Charles,  career,  80-81;    shelters  Henry  at 

Michilimackinac,  80-87;   inhumanity,  93-94. 
L'Arbre  Croche,  Ottawa  village,  47-48;   Indians  take 

prisoners   from    Chippewa,    96-98;    Henry   visits, 

124,  148. 
La  Ronde,  Louis  Denis,  sieur  de,  at  Chequamegon 

Bay,  185. 
Lead,  on  Nanibojou  Island.  222. 

Leduc,  M. ,  gives  information  on  fur  trade,  11. 

Legends,  of  Nanibojou,  203-205;   of  Island  of  Yellow 

Sands,  215-18;  of  carrying  place  of  the  Lost  child, 

238. 

330 


'^ntxtx 


Les  Cedres,  Henry  visits,  ii. 

Leslie,  Lieut.  William,  commandant  at  Michilimack- 

inac,  52;  in  massacre,  91-92,  95. 
Le  Sueur,  Pierre  Charles,  at  Chequamegon  Bay,  185. 
Levis,  Fort,  captured,  3;  named  William  Augustus,  4. 

Levy, ,  trader,  109. 

Lewis,  Meriwether,  opinion  of  grizzly  bear,  315-16. 
Longue    Sault,   Henry   runs    rapids,    8-10;    ascends, 

19-20. 
Lost  Child,  carrying  place  of,  legend,  238. 
Ludington  (Mich.),  Henry  winters  in  vicinity,  124. 
Mackenzie,  Alexander,  explores  Peace  River,  312. 
Madelaine  Island,  191. 
Maize,  cultivated  at  L'Arbre  Croche,  47-48,  54,  124; 

as  diet  for  voyageurs,  54;  price  at  Michilimackinac, 

5S;  feast  on,  130-31;  purchased,  184;  as  food,  211; 

cultivated  on  Lake  Superior,  225. 
Maligne  River,  name,  253;   Henry  camps  on,  258. 
Mamance  Point,  minerals  found  at,  203. 
Manitoulin  Island,  name,  36. 
Manitous,  see  Great  Spirit. 

Maple  sugar,  manufacture,  69-70,  143-44,  193,  209. 
Marquette,    Father    Jacques,    place    of    death,    124; 

on   Chequamegon   Bay,    184;     founds   mission   of 

St.  Ignace,  184. 
Marriage,  customs  among  Indians,  289-93. 
Marten,  skins  purchased,  312. 
Marten,  The,  Indian  chief,  310. 
Maskegon  Indians,  desire  trade  with  English,  27-28, 
Matawan  River,  Henry  ascends,  28-29. 
Matchedash  Bay,  Henry  reaches,  171. 
Matchedash  Indians,  see  Missisaki  Indians. 
Matchekewis  (Mutchikiwish),  Chippewa    chief,    seeks 

life  of  Henry,  157;  career,  157. 
Maurepas,  He  de,  see  Michipicoten  Island. 
Mayzhuckegeshig,  Chippewa  chief,  189. 
Medicine,  deceptions  practiced,  314-16. 
Medicine  men,  practices,  113-22;   161-66. 
Menard,  Father  Rend,  at  Keweenaw  Bay,  212. 

331 


5Fntiejc 


Menominee  Indians,  escort  English  garrison  to  L'Arbre 
Croche,  io6;  attitude  in  Pontiac's  War,  107. 

Merchandise,  prices  at  Michilimackinac,  149;  to 
Indians,  187;  at  Fort  des  Prairies,  303-304. 

Michigan,  Lake,  Henry  plans  trading  expedition  to, 
47;  opening  of  navigation,  58. 

Michilimackinac,  Fort,  M.  Leduc  at,  11;  Henry 
decides  to  visit,  xiii,  11-12;  route  from  Montreal, 
15;  location  at  different  periods,  37;  described, 
40-41;  as  fur-trade  center,  41;  Beaujeau  evacuates, 
52;  British  reach,  52;  disaffection  of  Indians, 
72-77;  garrison  massacred,  78-82;  English  expe- 
dition sent  to  recover,  179;  peace  with  Chippewa 
and  Ottawa  concluded,  180;  Henry  returns  to, 
201-202. 

Michilimackinac  Island,  name,  37,  109;  Chippewa 
village  on,  37-38;  warriors  hold  council  with  Henry, 
41-46;  Henry's  sojourn  on,  107-112. 

Michipicoten,  Henry  winters  at,  203-17. 

Michipicoten  Island,  Henrj^  explores,  215-17. 

Milford  (Conn.),  Peter  Pond  at,  243-44. 

Minavavana,  Chippewa  chief,  existence  denied,  xix; 
speech,  42-45;  surrenders  Henry,  102-103;  advises 
Henry,  113. 

Minnesota  River,  see  St.  Pierre  River. 

Miscoutinsaki  Rapid,  Heavy  ascends,  59. 

Missions,  see  Jesuits. 

Missisaki  Indians,  name,  35;  at  Lake  Simcoe,  171; 
attend  peace  council,  171.  175;  in  Indian  battalion, 

175-77- 
Missisaki  River,  name,  35;  Henry  reaches,  167. 
Mississagi  Point,  near  Fort  Niagara,  173. 
Money,  furs  employed  as,  55-56;    lack  of,  at  Fort 

Michilimackinac,  183-84. 
Montague,  Portage  de  la,  described,  25. 
Montgomery,  Gen.  Richard,  death,  317. 
Montreal,  captured,  480;  Henry  arrives  at,  318. 
Moose,  on  Churchill  River  journey,  307. 
Moose  River,  route  by,  228;   Henry  crosses,  268. 
Mormons,  kingdom  on  Beaver  Islands,  94. 

332 


^V^tX 


Mosquitoes,  on  Matawan   River,    29;    at   Sault   Ste. 

Marie,  62;  on  Pinawa  River,  238. 
Music,  of  Assiniboin,  286. 
Nadowessie  Indians,  see  Sioux. 
Nanibojou,  legends,  203-205. 
Nanibojou  Island,   Henry  camps   on,    211;     minerals 

found,  222. 
Nannabojou,  Indian  chief,  204. 
Nequaquon  Lake,  see  Lake  Sagunac. 
Niagara,    Fort,    peace    council    at,     15S-59;     Henry 

reaches,  173. 
Nipigon  River,  in  French  period,  229. 
Nipissing  Indians,  meeting  with  Henry,  31. 
Nipissing  Lake,  Henry  traverses,  30-32. 
Nordberg,  John,  career,  222;   mineralogical  tour,  222. 
Northwest,  definition,  230. 
North   West    Company,    origin,    244;      activities   of 

Frobishers,  245;  of  Charles  Patterson,  245;  rivalry 

with  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  252. 
Notepseakan  River.  Henry  winters  in  vicinity,  124. 
Oak  Bay,  Henry  at,  198-201. 
Oak  Point,  in  Lake  Winnipeg,  244. 
Ochibbouy  Indians,  see  Chippewa. 
Okinochumaki,  Ottawa  chief,  kindness  of,  124. 
Ontonagon  River,  Henry  reaches,   186;    explores  for 

copper,  197;  mining  operations,  223-24. 
Opimittish  Iniwac  Indians,  see  Wood  Indians. 
Osinipoil  Indians,  see  Assiniboin. 
Otossalon  (Tessalon,  Thessalon,  des  Tessalons)  River, 

Ottawa  Indians,  carry  Henry  Bostwick  to  Montreal, 
13;  of  L'Arbre  Croche,  council  with  traders,  47-50; 
propose  attack  on  English  troops,  52;  take  prisoners 
from  Chippewa,  96-98;  raise  maize,  124;  village 
at  Lake  St.  Claire,  180;  seek  refuge  at  Lac  Court 
Oreilles,  191-92. 

Ottawa  River,  route  by,  15,  228;  Henry  ascends,  19- 
28. 

Otter,  skins  purchased,  312. 

Otter's  Head,  described,  227. 

333 


SFnticjc 


Outaouais.  Lake  des,  see  Lac  Court  Oreilles. 

Outardes,  Isles  aux,  in  Lake  Huron,  37;  Henrj'  so- 
journs at,  151-55. 

Outardes,  Portage  aux,  231. 

Painted  Post,  name,  294. 

Pani.  woman  conceals  Henrj',  81-83;  name,  81.  See 
also  Slaves. 

Panthers,  shot,  147;   on  plains  of  Saskatchewan,  289. 

Partridges,  at  Michilimackinac,  55. 

Paskogac,  Fort,  location,  249. 

Pas  Mission,  location,  249. 

Pasquayah  River,  see  Saskatchewan. 

Pasquayah,  village,  Henr>'  at.  249-51. 

Pasquia  River,  tributary  of  Saskatchewan,  249. 

Patterson,  Charles,  career,  245;  on  tour  of  plains,  267. 

Patterson's  Point,  location,  245. 

Pays  Plat,  described,  228-29. 

Peace  Riv'er,  information  concerning,  312-13. 

Pelican,  The,  see  Chatique. 

Pelicans,  on  Lake  of  the  Woods,  236-37;  on  Lake 
Winnipeg,  244. 

Pentwater  River,  identified  with  Au  Sable,  124. 

Perdrix,  Portage  du,  on  Pigeon  River,  231. 

Petite  Faucille,  Pourtage  de  la,  on  French  River,  32. 

Pic  Island,  Henry  visits.  228. 

Pickawillany,  captured  by  Langlade,  80. 

Pickerel,  in  Beaver  Lake,  255;  on  Churchill  River 
journey,  306. 

Pigeon  (Groseilles,  duTourtre)  River,  Henry  traverses, 

230-31- 
Pijitic  River.  Henry  encamps  at,  227;   route  by,   228. 
Pike  River,  pipestone  quarry  near,  245. 
Pillager  Indians,  name,  236-37. 
Pinawa  River,  as  trade  route,  237-38. 
Pine  trees,  on  Saskatchewan  River.  247;   on  Churchill 

River,  301,  308. 
Pins,  Point  aux,  shipyard  at,  218;  smelting  furnace,  222. 
Pins,  Portage  des,  on  French  River,  32. 
Pipe  stone,  quarry  on  Lake  Winnipeg,  245. 
Piwatic  River,  see  Iron  River 

334 


^nhtx 


Plains,  of  Saskatchewan,  extent,  257,  265-66;   inhab- 
itants, 266;    Henry  visits,  257-301;   use  of  nautical 

terms  on,  299. 
Pluie,  Lake  a  la,  see  Rainy  Lake. 
Polygamy,  among  Cristinaux,  241;   among  Indians  in 

general,  292-93. 
Pond,  Peter,  describes  vows  paid  at  St.  Anne's,  i8; 

career,  243-44;  goes  to  Fort  Dauphin,  253. 
Pontiac,  leads  Indians  against  English,  xiii,  13;  besieges 

Detroit,  174;  makes  peace,  178;  death,  178-79. 
Poplar  trees,  food  for  beaver,  126;    on  Saskatchewan 

River,  246,  268;  at  Fort  des  Prairies,  303. 
Porcupine,  true  name,  141. 
Potatoes,   cultivated   at   Michilimackinac,    217;      at 

Michipicoten,  217. 
Prairie  des  Franf  ais.  La,  on  French  River,  33. 
Prairie  du  Chien,  peace  council,  189-90. 
Prairies.  Fort  des,  destination  of  J.  B.  Cadotte,  Sr., 

253;    location,  265;     Great  Road  visits,  298-302; 

description,  303. 
Presqu'isle,  Bradstreet's  army  at,  177;  council  at,  178. 
Puants,  Bay  des,  see  Green  Bay. 
Quebec,  surrender  of,  xii,  3;     Charles  Langlade  at 

siege  of,  80;  Montgomery  assaults,  317. 
Raccoons,   method    of    hunting,    128-29;      numbers 

caught,  132. 
Radisson,  Pierre  Esprit,  sieurd',  winters  at  Chequame- 

gon  Bay,  189. 
Rainy  Lake,  Henry  traverses,  253. 
Rainy  River,  Henry  traverses,  233-34,  318;  scarcity  of 

game,  234. 
Rapid,  The,  Churchill  River  chief,  311. 
Rat,  Portage  du,  Henry  passes,  236-37. 
Rattlesnakes,  superstitions  concerning,  168-71. 
Red  deer,  habitat,  126;  hunted,  135,  142;    season  for 

hunting,  141;    carcass  found,    264;    on  plains   of 

Saskatchewan,  289. 
Revolutionary  War,  news  of  in  Northwest,  317-18. 
Rideau  Falls,  described,  21. 

335 


^nhtx 


Robinson,  Alexander,  Potawatomi  chief,  account  of 

Matchekewis,  157. 
Roche  Capitaine,  Portage  du,  described,  28. 
Roche  Rouge,  pipestone  quarty,  245. 
Roosevelt,  Theodore,  on  grizzly  bear  hunting,  315 
Ross,  John,  Peter  Pond  kills,  244. 
Royale,  He,  Carver's  report  concerning,  216. 
Rum,  Indian  carousal  over,  6-7;   "English  milk,"    45; 

drinking  by  Lake  of  the  Woods  Indians.  235-36; 

demanded  by  Chatique,  251;  price,  304;  diluted  for 

Indian  trade,  304,  311. 
Sable  Point,  location,  123. 
Sacrifices,  of  dogs,  107,  125,  144,  170,  289;    to  Great 

Turtle,  163;     to  rattlesnake,    170-71;    of    Henry 

proposed,  171;    to  Nanibojou,  205;  among  Assini- 

boin,  289. 
Saginaw  Bay,  Indians  visit  Michilimackinac,  150. 
Sagunac  (Saginaga)  Lake,  Indians  of,  232-33. 
St.  Anne,  vows  offered  at  Church,  18. 
St.  Anne  Rapids,  17-18. 
St.  Charles  Fort,  location,  236. 
St.  Claire  Lake,  settlements  near,  180;  Indian  villages, 

180. 
St.  Franfais  Lake,  Henry  reaches.  10. 
St.  Ignace  Cape,  near  St.  Martin  Island,  123. 
St.  Ignace  Mission,  established  by  Marquette,  184. 
St.  Ignace  Point,  Henry  visits,  151. 
St.  James,  capital  of  Mormon  kingdom,  94. 
St.  Joseph,  Fort,  raided,  12;    site,  53;    Ottawa  save 

garrison,  106. 
St.    Lawrence    River,    Gen.    Amherst   descends,    3-4; 

Henry  navigates  rapids,  8-10;  character,  17. 
St.  Louis,  Pontiac  buried  at,  179. 
St.  Martin  Island,  Henry  sojourns  on,  133. 
St.  Pierre  River,  trading  expedition  planned,  47. 
St.  Sulpice,  mission,  19. 
Sand  bars,  at  river  mouths,  125, 
Sandusky  Bay,  Bradstreet's  army  at,  177-78. 
Santee  Indians,  origin  of  name,  277. 

336 


^nticx 


Saskatchewan  (Bourbon,  Pasquayah)  River,  Henry 
ascends,  246-53;  259-67;  fur  trade  rivalry,  303. 

Sauk  Indians,  play  ball  with  Chippewa,  78,  86-87. 

Sault  du  Recolet,  Portage  du,  on  French  River,  32-33. 

Sault  Ste.  Marie,  journey  from  Michilimackinac  to,  59; 
fort,  59-60;  fishing,  60-61,  63;  Chippewa  village  at, 
61;  fort  burned,  64;  garrison  withdraws  to  Michili- 
mackinac, 64;  Indians  friendly  .to  English,  150-51; 
Henry  winters  at,  180;  embarks  for,  184;  barge  built, 
217;  sloop,  218. 

Schlosser,  Fort,  at  Niagara  portage,  175-76. 

Schoolcraft,  Henry  R.,  search  for  Wawatam,  xix, 
iSS-56. 

Serpent,  Rapide  du,  on  Churchill  River,  309. 

Seven  Years'  War,  xii. 

Silver,  on  Iron  River,  187;  on  Nanibojou  Island,  222. 

Simcoe  Lake,  Henry  traverses,  171-72;  Indians  visit 
Fort  Niagara,  171, 175;  enrolled  in  battalion.  175-77. 

Sioux  (Nadowessie)  Indians,  Henry  plans  expedition 
to,  47;  warfare  with  Chippewa,  189-90,  195-96,  232, 
236;  relation  to  Assiniboin,  266,  289. 

Slaves,  Indian,  81;  among  Assiniboin,  266,  295-97. 

Slave  River  (Kiratchinini  Sibi),  information  concern- 
ing, 313. 

Sledges,  Indian,  described,  257. 

Snakes,  on  Island  of  Yellow  Sands,  216,  218-20.  See 
also  rattlesnakes. 

Snake  Indians,  neighbors  of  Assiniboin,  288. 

Snowshoe  evil,  described.  68;  cure,  68. 

Solomon,  Ezekiel,  at  Michilimackinac,  48;  in  massacre, 
93,  95,  105. 

South  Chicago,  battle  near,  13. 

Spaniards,  supply  horses  to  Assiniboin,  289. 

Spruce  trees,  on  Saskatchewan  River,  246;  on  Church- 
ill, 308. 

Strang,  James  Jesse,  founds  Mormon  kingdom,  94. 

Stag,  see  red  deer. 

Sturgeon,  in  Ontonagon  River,  186;  in  Lake  Winnipeg, 
246;   in  Saskatchewan  River,  247;   in  Cedar  Lake, 

337 


S^nticjt: 


248;  in  Beaver  Lake,  255;  as  diet,  at  Cumberland 

House,  258. 
Sturgeon  Lake,  Cumberland  House  on,  251;  described, 

253;  Henry  traverses,  258. 
Sturgeon  Weir  River,  see  Maligne  River. 
Sudatories,  see  sweating  houses. 
Superior  (Wis.),  see  Fond  du  Lac. 
Superior,  Lake,  mines  of,  210;    French  schooner  on, 

216;    company  formed  to  work  mines,  217;    barge 

built,  217;    sloop,  218,  225-26;    mining  operations, 

218-24. 
Superstitions,  concerning  fear,  139-40;    dreams,  151; 

Great  Turtle,  161-66;     rattlesnakes,  168-71;  rob- 
bing the  Great  Spirit,  194-95;  of  Great  Road  about 

hair,  278. 
Swans,  at  Beaver  Lake,  306. 
Sweating  houses,  among  Indians,  291. 
Tetes  de  Boule  Indians,  see  Wood  Indians. 
Tete  de  la  Loutre,  see  Otter's  Head. 
Thunder  Island,  name,  230. 
Tobacco,  Henry  uses,  149-50;   offered  to  Great  Turtle, 

163,  165;    to  rattlesnake,  168-70;    use  by  Indians, 

273;  in  Indian  trade,  304. 
Tonnerre.  He  au,  see  Thunder  Island. 
Toronto  (Toranto),  carrying-place,  172. 
Totems,  function  of,  295. 

Townshend, ,  partner  in  mining  company,  226. 

Tracy, ,  trader,  at  Fort  Michilimackinac,  73;  in 

massacre,  79.  92,  105. 
Trembles,  Fort  aux,  on  Saskatchewan  River,  303. 
Tripe  de  Roche,  substitute  for  food,  212-13. 
Trout,  at  Michilimackinac,    55;    spearing   described, 

65-66;  at  Chequamegon  Bay,  191;  catch  relieves 

famine,  202;  in  Beaver  Lake,  255. 
Tutchet,  Sir  Samuel,  partner  in  mining  company,  226. 
Varennes,     Pierre     Gaultier    de,    establishes    Fort 

Bourbon,  248. 
Vase,  Portages  a  la,  on  Matawan  River,  29-30. 
Vegetables,  cultivated  at  Michipicoten,  217. 

338 


S^nticjc 


Venison,  method  of  drying,  132;  quantity  secured, 
132,  142. 

Voyageurs,  conditions  of  employment,  16,  231;  cus- 
toms, 18. 

Waac,  see  tripe  de  roche. 

Wadin, ,  killed  in  duel,  244. 

Wagoshense  Point,  near  Michilimackinac,  96. 

Warren  brothers,  on  Chequamegon  Bay,  185. 

Wawatam,  existence  denied,  xix,  155-56;  friendship 
for  Henry,  73-76,  99-103;  attends  feast,  104-105; 
conceals  H.enry,  109-111;  on  St.  Martin's  Island, 
123;  at  Au  Sable  River,  123-25;  gives  feast,  130-31; 
kills  stag,  132;  superstitions,  140;  journey  to  Michi- 
limackinac, 147-49;  to  Sault  Ste.  Marie,  151;  fare- 
well to  Henry,  154-55;  Schoolcraft  seeks,  155. 

Weeping,  among  Assiniboin,  276-77. 

Wenniway,  Chippewa  chief,  captor  of  Henry,  88-91, 
93-96. 

Whitefish,  at  Michilimackinac,  56-57;  at  Sault  Ste. 
Marie,  60-61;  at  Chequamegon  Bay  191;  in 
Beaver  Lake,  255;  at  Churchill  River,  306,  309. 

White  River,  see  Pijitic  River. 

Wild  rice,  as  food,  232,  235;  gift,  243. 

William,  Fort,  erected,  229-30. 

Willow  trees,  on  Saskatchewan  River,  248. 

Winnipeg  Lake,  Henry  traverses,  239-46,  317;  outlet, 
247. 

Winnipeg  River,  Henry  traverses.  237-38. 

Women,  labors  performed  by,  132,  143,  269-71,  298; 
dreams,  147;  neatness  of  at  Chequamegon  Bay, 
190-91;  of  Cristinaux  tribe  described,  239-41; 
modesty  of  Assiniboin,  279;  beauty,  295;  of  Chepe- 
wyan  tribe,  314. 

Wolfe,  Gen.  James,  captures  Quebec,  xii,  3. 

Wolves,  bones  as  feast,  263;  skins  as  presents,  281; 
on  Saskatchewan  River.  305. 

Wood  (Gens  de  Terre,  Opimittish  Ininiwac),  Indians 
near  Sault  Ste.  Marie  described,  61-62;  country  and 
habits,  205-207;  on  Pijitic  River,  228. 

339 


5Fnticjc 


Yellow  Sands,  Island  of,  legends  concerning,  215-18; 

Henry  explores,  219-21. 
York,  identified  with  Toronto,  172. 
York,  Fort,  on  Hudson  Bay,  247. 


340 


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